11 Reasons to Use a Typewriter

When writing a *first draft of just about anything

1. No distractions. No internet. No notifications. No unexpected noises.

2. No cords: A manual typewriter is always “charged” and ready to go. You eventually need to swap out a fresh ribbon, but one well-inked ribbon far outlasts the average daily laptop or smartphone charge.

3. No software updates needed: A typewriter’s operating system is never outdated.

4. Instant printing: No need to figure out how printer drivers work. You type a word and it appears on the paper. Magic.

5. Tactile and sensory delight: Tapping a typewriter key “hits different” than it does on a computer keyboard. Your fingers being massaged by the keys and the ding of the bell as you finish a line? Hello, sweet dopamine hit. And the click clickity clack of the type slugs as they hit the platen? Swoon.

6. No hard drive or USB needed: Your writing is saved automatically. A typewriter will never crash. (If you throw it out the window of a speeding car, that’s a slightly different story: Google “Royal Road Test.”)

7. No editing or deleting: This is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of using a typewriter. I’m here to sing the praises of not being able to hit the backspace key and instantly erase a typo or a thought. Writing on a typewriter allows you to get into the flow. Write a sentence and feel like it’s not quite right? Don’t grab the correction tape. This is all about the first draft. Write now, edit later. Get words on the page.

8. Built to last forever: With proper care, your machine will outlive you. Typewriters weren’t designed to be used for a year, only to be traded in or discarded for the latest model. One solid typewriter will last a lifetime. (What an environmental gift!)

9. Single purpose: A typewriter does one thing, and it does it well.

10. Interesting history: Each one has seen some things and definitely has some unique stories to tell.

11. They are just plain fun.

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*This is an excerpt from The Distraction-Free First Draft: Unplug, forget perfectionism, and write more than ever using a typewriter—the book I released into the world late last year.

Happy (type)writing!