As we approach National Pencil Day on the March 30, I thought it would be fun to look at the various writing implements scribes have used over eons. From chiseled stone slabs to laptops, writers have adapted to the evolution of the various inventions for their process.

From stone motifs with ochre colouring or etching with bone to clay tablets and reed stylus through to papyrus, parchment and vellum marked with quill pens, manufactured using feathers of large birds, such as geese or swans. The ink being made of natural substances like iron gall, soot, and plant extracts. Many ancient civil used other materials, such as palm leaves using iron or bronze stylus', silk and bamboo strips marked by way of ink stones. Siberian Indigenous people used unique carving tools for inscribing symbols on wood and stone.

From these early methods, technology began to advance through to mechanical machines, such as early typewriters, to word processers and onto computers and laptops.

The commonality of all writers throughout history is that no matter our medium and tools, we find a way to create a lasting medium for our writing. One that can be read for generations to come. Stories are the thread that connects us to those early pioneers and forward into the future.

Of course we can't ignore that the romantic view of a writer will always be the quill.