Writers have existed since the days when alphabets and clay tablets were first invented. For thousands of years, people have used multiple types of materials to create, document and preserve the written word.
Can you imagine writing a novel the length of Tolstoy’s War and Peace by hand? And not just writing the first draft… every single revision required the writer to copy the entire chapter again and again. That changed with the advent of the typewriter to some extent. It was admittedly much faster to type manuscripts than laboriously handwriting them. However, revisions still required the equally laboriously task of retyping the chapters.
Today, we have the benefits of technology… personal computers that allow us to write, rewrite and revise swiftly without the need for repetitive recopying. And yet, there are still those who prefer to write by hand… or by typewriter. They have their own individual reasons for this. They say it helps them think, aids the creative process. Is it because it’s more hands-on? I don’t know.
All I know is I have worked with only typewriters available and have fully embraced the modern age of computers. Remembering back to when I was writing radio copy for clients, I would type the 30- or 60-second commercial, then the client would review and revise it. I would then need to completely retype the commercial before taking it to the radio station.
Of course, there are days when I curse the computer, complain about the Internet and hate it when my Autocorrect does something stupid… at least from my perspective. I refer to that issue as correctile dysfunction. But I have to agree that it sure makes the writing process quicker and editing easier. No more major retyping. And electronically sending it instead of mailing the copy or hand-carrying it certainly makes that job a lot easier!
So… no matter how you create your craft, I advise using technology as much as you can. Writing can be difficult and time consuming enough without adding to the process with what is now unnecessary labor.
A note about the photo above… this is a miniature room box I created to salute the hard work and creative efforts of those writers who have seen the immense changes in how we craft our stories. With its typewriter and old-fashioned dial telephone, it epitomizes the transformation between way back and way advanced. The box is 6”x 4” x 2.5”.