Although it's called the "TruPen", the pen that comes with your Toshiba Excite Write uses technology licensed from Wacom (the most respected name in pressure sensitive drawing tablets and screens) and is essentially a "Wacom Bamboo Feel" stylus -- any advice you find regarding the optimal use of a Wacom pen will also apply to the TruPen. So here's some of that advice:
Try to treat your TruPen as you would an expensive fountain pen: try not to drop it, be sure not to expose it to water, and keep it from excessive heat and cold; the usual rules. I attach my pen to the elasticized band that keeps my Targus universal cover closed, but it's not a good solution as once I open the cover, there's no longer anywhere to store the pen, and there's a danger of dropping or losing it. Also, it's exposed to damage in this scenario.
I strongly recommend purchasing a proper case, sleeve, or portfolio. Although any sleeve that accommodates a 10" tablet will work, look for one that has additional pockets, and hopefully pen-holders built in. The one I found below isn't the most stylish, but fits our tablet well and has a dedicated pocket for the pen and other accessories:
A real "tip"
When using your pen to draw or sketch, always ensure that your screen is cleaned first. Use a clean, soft, dry cloth, like one of those "ultra fiber" squares booths hand out like pez at tradeshows. You'll be surprised at how much filth is on your screen that you can't easily see. Since the Excite Write pen tip (called a "nib") is a white felt tip meant to add enough texture and friction to simulate drawing on paper, it WILL pick up that filth and you will see it then. Use your pen only a couple of times and you'll already start to see discoloration and lint build up.
To clean the nib, wash your hands thoroughly and then gently pull off any adhering lint with your fingertips. What at first glance looks like a black stain on the tip of nib may actually just be lint ground into it. Dirt and lint buildup can have an impact on the performance of your pen, btw. You can also gently rub the tip in a direction away from the tip on a white surface in order to clean it, but be careful not to press hard and to not use too rough or hard a surface as you can break, deform, or split the pen nib.
Eventually, your nib will wear out and it will be time to replace it with a new one. According to the instruction PDF that comes with the Excite Write tablet, you can replace your it simply by pulling it out and gently shoving in a new one, but Toshiba doesn't tell you where to get new ones. You can purchase replacement nibs on Amazon.com, thankfully:
You can purchase a complete replacement pack to match the one that comes with your tablet, or you can buy a mix-and-match set with various attributes to see which matches your drawing style best.
You can't have enough pens
You probably will lose the pen that came with your Excite Write. You may not lose it permanently, but at some point you'll consider purchasing at least a second one for a backup. Although (again) Toshiba isn't currently pointing us at any directions at how to grow replacement pens at home, because it uses Wacom Bamboo Feel technology, you can buy one of those!
The carbon model is a "premium" pen at twice the price, but it is made from "carbon-fiber with steel, aluminum, and zirconia" so: a) you know it's stronger, and b) it's lighter (not that the standard pen is any heavyweight). Also, the carbon model comes with 4 instead of 2 extra replacement nibs. Other than that, the pens are identical.
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