Abstract: A writing apparatus with retractable presharpened pencil lead elements is disclosed having an outer pen holder, an inner cylinder slidably mounted within the outer pen holder, a compression spring to bias the inner cylinder toward an end of the outer pen holder, a pencil lead pushing mechanism to push the lowest pencil lead out of the inner cylinder, a pencil lead clamping mechanism to retain the lowest pencil lead extended beyond the inner cylinder, and a sliding retractor to push away an elastic hook of the pencil lead pushing mechanism in order to retract the extended pencil lead into the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder has a conical flange projected radially to retain the sliding retractor when the elastic hook is pushed away so as to restrain displacement of the inner cylinder and the pencil lead can be retracted into the inner cylinder first.