Suppose someone gave you a pen—a sealed①， solid-colored pen. You couldn’t see how much ink it had. It might run dry after the first few tentative② words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece （or several） that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things. You don’t know before you begin.
Under the rules of the game， you really never know. You have to take a chance！ Actually， no rule of the game states you must do anything. Instead of picking up and using the pen， you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up， unused. But if you do decide to use it， what would you do with it？ How would you play the game？
Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word？ Would your plans be so extensive③ that you never even got to the writing？
Or would you take the pen in hand， plunge④ right in and just do it， struggling to keep up with the twists⑤ and turns of the torrents⑥ of words that take you where they take you？
Would you write cautiously and carefully， as if the pen might run dry the next moment， or would you pretend or believe （or pretend to believe） that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly？
And of what would you write： Of love？ Hate？ Fun？ Misery？ Life？ Death？ Nothing？ Everything？
Would you write to please just yourself？ Or others？ Or yourself by writing for others？
Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold⑦？ Fancy with a flourish or plain？
Would you even write？ Once you have the pen， no rule says you have to write. Would you sketch？ Scribble？ Doodle or draw？
Would you stay in or on the lines， or see no lines at all， even if they were there？ Or are they？ There’s a lot to think about here， isn’t there？
Now， suppose someone gave you a life...
① sealedadj. 密封的
② tentativeadj. 试验性的，尝试的，暂时性的，踌躇的，犹豫的
③ extensiveadj. 广大的，广阔的，广泛的，大规模的
④ plungev. 使投入，将……插入，将……刺进；使突然前倾
⑤ twistn. 转弯，弯曲处
⑥ torrentn. 奔流，洪流，（感情等的）迸发；狂潮
⑦ boldadj. 英勇的，无畏的，大胆的
书写你的生命华章
假如有人给了你一支笔，一支密封的、纯色的水笔，里面有多少墨水你无法看到，很可能刚刚试着写几个字就用干；也可能足以完成一部或几部辉煌之作，流传千古，使世事为之大变。而这一切你在动笔之前无法知晓。
根据游戏的规则，你确实永远也不会知道，只能碰碰运气。而事实上，也没有规则阐明你一定要做些什么。你可以不去执笔挥毫，而把笔搁在架子上、放在抽屉里，弃置不用，任墨水蒸发干净。可是，如果你真的决定使用它，你会用来做什么呢？你会怎样来做这个游戏？
你会穷思竭虑，计划周全，然后才慢慢下笔吗？你的计划会不会广泛庞杂，根本达不到写作这一步？
你会不会提笔在手，迫不及待地投入其中，任由手中的笔、笔下的字引领着你在词海中左突右冲？
你会不会小心下笔，似乎生怕墨水随时都有耗尽的危机？会不会假装或相信、或假装相信笔中墨水永不会枯竭，任你神驰？
你会写些什么？爱？恨？趣？苦？生？死？虚或实？
你是会以写作自娱，还是取悦他人？还是为人写作而愉悦自身？
你的一笔一画会颤抖怯懦还是亮丽大胆？花里胡哨还是朴实无华？
你确实会去写吗？你一旦有了这支笔，却也没有规则说你一定就要去写。你会粗略描摹？潦潦草草？信手涂鸦？还是认真描画？
你会写在线里还是写在线上，或者全然不见？真的有什么线格吗？这其中，有很多东西值得思考，不是吗？
那么，假如有人给了你一支生命之笔……
