# You're in solitary confinement with pens and paper. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628 "2015-10-14T14:02:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/1 "2015-10-14T14:02:23Z")
Imagine you’re in solitary confinement, for an unknown period of time. You have been given pens and lots of paper, but nothing else to read, write or do. You can write whatever you want; the guards aren’t going to read or confiscate it. What would you write? A novel? A daily journal? A political manifesto? Things from outside life, as a reminder (i.e., lists of sports teams, names of cities, your favorite foods?) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/2 "2015-10-14T15:04:07Z")
The great American novel of course! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/3 "2015-10-14T15:16:12Z")
All of the above. Even with a lack of distractions I doubt I could write a novel straight through. I’d write a lot of notes about all sorts of things just as I do now, very little of which are ever seen or useful again. I might construct crossword puzzles, I can draw a grid and make chess pieces out of paper. I don’t play chess very well, so I probably won’t get much better only playing myself, but it will pass the time. I know how to make a variety of things out of paper, origami and other construction. Maybe the guards will take away things like that but I could practice techniques. There are certain kinds of page filling doodling I used to do in school so I might just do that when I don’t want to think. Maybe I’d storyboard some movie ideas. And I’d work on that novel, many times, but it would never get done, or even very far in any attempt. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/4 "2015-10-14T17:04:50Z")
I would probably try to write a novel, find it too hard and end up writing a D&D Campaign. ---
**Author:** ![rucciface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/5 "2015-10-14T17:24:29Z")
Random thoughts and a list of things I’ll want to google when I am released. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/6 "2015-10-14T17:47:01Z")
I would likely write all of the above as well as a lot of sketching, maybe a graphic novel and some origami. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/7 "2015-10-14T21:48:29Z")
Work on my research. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/8 "2015-10-14T22:19:10Z")
I’d start out trying to write a literary masterpiece, fail and end up doodling, scribbling down random thoughts, writing rude limericks and making paper aeroplanes. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/9 "2015-10-14T22:22:40Z")
I’d be drafting a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/10 "2015-10-14T22:58:10Z")
Definitely a novel. And a journal. And I’d draw. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/11 "2015-10-14T23:03:09Z")
Horrible!!! How can a person survive without Internet? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/12 "2015-10-14T23:06:31Z")
I thought that said penis. First thing I thought was, “Avoid the paper cut!”. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/13 "2015-10-14T23:10:11Z")
Funny you mentioned penis, as I would be drawing dirty pictures, and getting real good at it. I would emerge from solitary a regular Rembrandt! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/14 "2015-10-14T23:10:22Z")
Assorted mathematical calculations and doodles. Dragon curves are fun. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/15 "2015-10-14T23:12:03Z")
I’d chew up the paper to make a papier-mâché false wall, wait for the guards to come in and, in confusion, leave the cell door open as one goes to report, stab the remaining guard through the back of the skull with the pen, dress up in his uniform, and make my escape by generating tear gas and blowing a hole through the prison wall using devices improvised from components I find on my way out. “That was a pretty good plan.” Stranger ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/16 "2015-10-14T23:25:36Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I’d chew up the paper to make a papier-mâché false wall, wait for the guards to come in and, in confusion, leave the cell door open as one goes to report, stab the remaining guard through the back of the skull with the pen, dress up in his uniform, and make my escape by generating tear gas and blowing a hole through the prison wall using devices improvised from components I find on my way out. > > “That was a pretty good plan.” > > Stranger something like this for me as well…only I’m sure I’d screw it up and end up dead. Also, paper airplanes are fun. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/17 "2015-10-15T00:25:25Z")
Not sure what to write — and frankly worried that Mein Kampf started this way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/18 "2015-10-15T06:30:57Z")
[Draw.](http://www.trainweb.org/jeffhartmann/images/EngineerWithOilCan.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/19 "2015-10-15T14:13:02Z")
Well, since I’ve been keeping a journal for over 52 years, I guess I’d continue. ---
**Author:** ![TheSpeculationElucidation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@TheSpeculationElucidation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSpeculationElucidation)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628/20 "2015-10-15T14:49:31Z")
All of the above and more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-in-solitary-confinement-with-pens-and-paper/734628.md?page=2)