Make an "L" shape with your dominant arm by bending the forearm parallel to the earth. Drop your shoulders away from your ears and move your hand as if it were an extension of your forearm.
Determine the pivot point -- the fulcrum -- of the pen. Grip the pen at its fulcrum; a typical pen's fulcrum is toward the end at about one-fourth of the pen's length.
Pinch the pen with your thumb and index finger. Drumming technique experts Mark Wessels and Jeff Queen recommend holding a drum stick, in this case a pen, between the first and second knuckle of the index finger and the thumb's "meaty" pad.
Rotate your palm to face the ground. Rest your middle, ring and pinky fingers on the back of the pen. With a firm, but not tense, grip, roll your thumb forward and flick the pen down with your back three fingers to strike any surface in front of you: a table, book or your lap. Continue to roll your thumb back and forth, flicking the pen, to develop a rhythm.