this video made me really want a typewriter lol. i think the tactile quality to writing is something i definitely miss on the day to day... it's why i still do brainstorming with a pen and notebook!
This is such an interesting way to beat writer's block! Honestly your videos are making me question if I should splurge and get a typewriter too... 🤔 Also, you should make a "write with me" video where you just type on your typewriter for 30-45 minutes--the sound is so relaxing!
Totally splurge! Although they're often quite affordable if you scour ebay a bit. And thanks! That's a really interesting idea... maybe I could do a live stream or something of some typewriter action sometime in the future! :)
I love the concept of pulling it off the computer and into a physical thing that you're making with your hands. I actually might implement this and write by hand for a little while, see if that helps the block. Great video! Also, hello! Delighted to have found your videos! Excited to hear all about your project and the writing process.
Definitely give it a go! For me it helps to shake up my writing routine a bit which in turn helps the cogs spin again. And hello to you! So pleased you're here! Thanks for watching - plenty more on my project to come! :)
You can always get something to put under the typewriter when on hard surfaces so it doesn’t wiggle around as much - I like to use a piece of rubber shelf liner, or you can buy a typewriter pad.
My only concern with the typewriter is the frequent interruptions of flow as you set and reset the carriage, etc. Handwriting has fewer things to distract from the actual getting of ideas down. But quite intrigued and thinking of buying a typewriter. Definitely onboard with the physical aspect.
Yeah that's true, it can be an interruption sometimes - although often I find that the carriage resetting becomes just part of the rhythm of typing, unless something goes wrong haha
I feel like when you sit at a typewriter, it feels more like work (in a good way) than sitting at a computer. The keys might be harder to press depending on the typewriter (some easier than others), so you're actually getting a little workout, with the moving of your arms from time to time to move the carriage. Whereas, regular keyboards for laptops are so easy you don't feel the weight of each letter, it's often so lightweight a touch to type on a laptop.
In your opinion, how many pages should someone's first novel be? How many typed pages equals how many final pages in book length? Thank you and best of luck. 😊
Personally I'd say your book should be whatever length it needs to be to tell the story well! In terms of standard practice though (as far as I know!), one paperback page tends to have about 300 words. Obviously each book varies depending on it's particular formatting etc - but I think 300 words per page is the general rule of thumb. I have my typewriter set to doublespace my lines, so I actually end up with around 300 - 350 words per typed page on average I think, which quite neatly translates to one paperback page! I think a standard wordcount for a debut novel is between 75,000 words and 125,000 words - but that all varies depending on many factors, such as genre. I'm still learning a lot of this myself, so I hope that helps somewhat. If I'm wrong about any of that I hope someone corrects me! Thanks so much and best of luck to you too! :)
Typewriters are the way of the future! A machine without any electricity needed that brings beauty directly to the page. I would know since that’s how my single panel comics come about. Love your stuff! Keep going please, friend!
Oli, I've been writing on computer keyboards since well before you were born. But, my first serious writing (mid 1970s-mid 1980s) was done on a 1938 Royal KHM typewriter, and I still miss the smell and feel of the machine. I miss the satisfaction of banging out the words, filling a sheet of real paper. The past year or so I've felt creatively paralyzed, and I'm looking to get a manual portable typewriter and see if the kinesthetic memories it brings back will help me recapture the feeling I had when I was writing in my teens and 20s, when I wrote with a sense of freedom and a marvelous lack of self-consciousness. (I'm aware there are pretentious hipsters half my age buying typewriters, but when I do it, I bring geriatric authenticity to the enterprise.) Best of luck to you with your novel; I'm hoping to complete my own book-length project this year.
Amazing! There's definitely alot to be said for changing your process or routine to get yourself out of a creative rut. Especially when it's connected to happy creative memories like in your case! I'd love to try out a Royal KHM - such classic typewriters! Good luck with your writing! :)
Quick story. I bought a small portable typewriter last week to type names on garment labels. But I started using it, giving it a go for actual creative work. I found it 'unlocked' a different part of my brain, a quieter, deeper thinking part. I also loved the way it didn't judge me, didn't tell me I'd spelt something wrong, didn't suggest the next word to me, and didn't correct my grammar. It made NO comment, it typed everything I did good and bad. I liked the radically different experience that 4 days later I bought a 1958 Olympic SG 1.
Aww, I'm so grateful I was able to help you out, Oli 😊 (I finally got over the "soggy middle" of my novel, while home sick with my little girl hahaha)... I've always wanted a typewriter too! Do you find that you have to write slower, to avoid mistakes, or can you just type as usual? I'd like to find me a typewriter and play around too 😊
No no, thank you! :) I actually don't worry too much about mistakes when typing, as I know it's only me that's going to see the typewriter version. I do write much slower on typewriter though, partly because it takes more physical effort to type, but also because I'm considering and thinking about what I've written, which is the point really! Sorry to hear your little girl is sick - hope she gets well soon! And congrats on getting through the soggy middle! Hope the ending is much drier haha! Def find a typewriter if you can! They're all over ebay and antique shops and those types of places. :)
It is ok to have a calm scene in the middle, which resets the mood, the tone, and enables us to re-invent the paths to the ending. Let the characters rest for a moment.
I have 5 typewriters and am a author, I’ve never 100% completed a story with my typewriter but every one of my novels has been written at least a little bit on my typewriters. I want to finish a complete novel on one, one day.
How many words per minute do you think you can do? Just curious. Oh, and how did you get the idea of re-writing or summarizing previous days work, to get you back into the writing vibe? Thanks!
Both good questions! I don't actually know my words per minute for the typewriter, but I think I did a full page of double-spaced typing (300 words or so) in maybe 10 minutes? I could be wrong about that. I used to be a bit quicker, but I find typing on typewriter much slower than a computer keyboard. But that's also part of the benefit of it! It means I'm thinking more about each word. I can't actually remember how I came up with that idea! I think I just found myself reading over my previous day's work the next morning, and simultaneously wanting more of a reason to use my typewriter, and the two things just kind of came together! Thanks! :)
@@OliverFergusonAuthor Oh, do you, when you summarize the previous days' work, do you "edit" the work from the previous day? Just curious. I used to type back in the day on an IBM Selectric anywhere from 36-45 words per minute. Of course, that is not "thinking" of words to type, but for a grade in typing class.
Nice! That's definitely faster than me currently I think. I'd love to try an IBM Selectric! I don't tend to edit on the page, unless it's really obvious typo-style mistakes. I do kind of edit in my head though, as it helps me get a good idea of where I'm heading with what I wrote the day before, adding to a general "overview" of the whole story which I can lose a bit when I'm actually writing a scene.
Oh it was actually from Paperchase, which has closed down now unfortunately! You can normally find them in most stationery shops though. I saw a similar one in Tesco even! Sorry if you're in the US - those are very UK-based answers haha :)
