That was much more interesting than it had any right to be for someone who has no knowledge of watches, such as myself.

"They were the sort that went trampling all over your pet stamp collection, or whatever it was, and then spent the rest of their lives atoning for it. But you would rather have had your stamp collection."

- Stella Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm

If you get a chance to watch the BBC adaption, it appears well worth it, from the first episode.

"Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake."

- Napoleon (as quoted, I believe, in the first episode of Jonathon Strange & Mister Norrell)

Ah, it's a custom adjusted Sailor Professional Gear with EF nib. My handwriting is very small, so I go for very fine nibs. It's nothing particularly striking to look at, but writing with it is a joy!

I got halfway through answering this by lovingly describing my custom-nibbed fountain pen before I noticed the 'affordable' and 'mass production' requirements. I use the Pilot G-2 0.38 as my throw around pen, but it wouldn't bother me if you borrowed it.

Funny, creativity and illness... I was convinced I was going to be a writer. Growing up, I was convinced I had the talent. I had the ideas, the raw writing ability, the sheer enjoyment of the writing process. And then... Things started going wrong. It never... quite... happened. I was tired all the time. I was finding it hard to concentrate. My ability to 'see' what was happening in my stories, to 'feel' how the plot was going to develop, simply faded away.

Years later I was diagnosed with lupus. The fatigue, the cognitive issues, the pain in my hands, the pain everywhere; lupus. Without understanding it at the time, it cost me a job, a marriage, and my ability to be coherently creative.

I still play around with writing. I still have ideas that if only I could ever find my way through the creative forest to the other side where I could write, "The End", they would be, I think, enjoyable stories.

But, for the most part, I just admire the people who make it work regardless of the adversity.

I read this some time ago, but it is such a fun theory that I'm glad to rediscover it again. Thanks for posting it!