Growing up I remember my aunt having a mechanical typewriter in her home office. It was perfectly positioned on a custom-built, small wooden desk far away from any computer screen. Polished with a jet-black finish, the typewriter sat adjacent to a towering bookshelf that was always stocked with cartridges of fresh ink and reams of unopened paper.
I can still recall the fragrance of crisp cardstock being fed through the typewriter’s metallic arm as my aunt chronicled her life’s work onto paper using hard-pressed ink. With every line she wrote the typewriter would *DING* as the carousel reached the outer limits of the page and rebounded back to its original position along the left-side margin.
Ever since then I always knew I wanted a typewriter, but it wouldn’t be until about 20 years later that I would come to acquire one of my own.
The Acquisition
The day I acquired my own typewriter was a significant moment that profoundly impacted my lifestyle, my ambition to write, and my willingness to share stories in a unique way. It all started with a trip to Grandma’s house to help her install a new wireless color printer for her computer. Ironically, as I was troubleshooting the electrical mess of existing wires twisting beneath her desktop, I asked my grandma if she knew of anyone who might have a typewriter.
Being the meticulous and well-organized 85-year-old woman that she is, she thought there might be something for me in the basement. To my astonishment, after nearly two minutes of searching, I quickly stumbled upon a large, hard-shell case with the words “Super Silver Smith Corona” etched into the outside handle. It had a miniature lock and key attached by a thread of twine to obviously help protect whatever was inside, and at this point, I knew that I hit the jackpot.
The Advantages
It’s taken me a few months of tinkering and typing to finally understand where the typewriter fits into my arsenal of daily writing tools. And as I sit here and reflect on what I’ve learned thus far, I’m proud to share with you the five inherent advantages of what using a typewriter has done for me and how it’s refined my ability to write intentionally and with more visceral emotion.
- NO DISTRACTIONS – Unlike when using a computer with an internet connection, a mechanical typewriter helps you avoid getting distracted by email, music, or searching the web while you write. It forces you to be fully immersed in what you are writing, which is why it’s perfect for first drafts and getting words onto the page without getting swept into the suffocating rip current of the inter-web.
- NO EDITS OR DELETIONS – The typewriter literally leaves no room for error, unless of course, you use white-out or cross-out misspelled words using red ink. But without the ability to self-edit or delete your writing, it forces you to be more precise and intentional when choosing your words. Using the typewriter has taught me that it’s always better to delete and restructure your content instead of mindlessly adding words to fulfill a word count.
- AESTHETICALLY PLEASING – If you’ve ever seen or heard a typewriter in action, it can be quite soothing and aesthetically pleasing to hear the harmonious chime of the carousel returning to start a new line of text. Aside from its acoustic advantages and how it sounds while typing, the typewriter’s physical construction is also intrinsically tied to the overall experience one has when working behind the keys.
- TRUST YOUR INTUITION – Without real-time spell check or other writing-assistance tools like Grammarly, the typewriter pushes you to trust your intuition and rely on your expertise when searching for the perfect word or phrase. It highlights the necessity for you to know how to spell words in your vocabulary instead of relying on Microsoft Word to auto-correct your mistakes for you.
- VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE – It’s crazy to think that our entire business operates relying on computers and broadband internet connections to serve our client’s web page needs. Of all the time I’ve spent using the typewriter, not once was I ever concerned about sitting close to a power outlet or asking for the Wi-Fi password. My Super Sterling Smith Corona Standard can be brought anywhere and used without complication as long as it’s clean and it’s got fresh ink.
Conclusion – Diversify Your Passion
I recently had a good conversation with a close friend of mine about writing. She mentioned that she likes to keep a journal close by to jot down random thoughts, but that she also likes to stash a new journal somewhere special for when the time is right to get serious. This type of diversification helps segment ideas and inspire fresh thoughts to enter the mainstream of consciousness.
For me, I told her about my typewriter and how different it is from writing on a computer or even freehand. It represents a new method to pursue a medium of creative expression that allows me to re-learn the basics to become a better writer. If you have any ideas about how writers can learn to diversify and enhance their ability to write, please reach out to me, and let’s connect!
