Comments on: tools of the trade

By: Shari

Shari — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:10:56 +0000

Ooh, I do love that editor’s desk….

It’s amazing how different it is writing longhand vs on a laptop. It just seems to use the brain in a different way or something. Definitely a good idea for shaking things up when I’m stuck! (And now I’m wondering if my old typewriter is still in my parents’ basement. That would be cool.)

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:13:02 +0000

I’m completely jealous of your editor’s desk. I’ve wanted one for years, even started drawing up plans for a knock-off so a cabinet-maker friend of mine could build me one.

As for typewriters, for years I dragged around not one but two old Royal typewriters–yes the cast iron beauts–until it became nearly impossible to get ribbons for them. Sigh. I miss the “ding”.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:16:07 +0000

@Nancy Nordenson, My sister and I used to do a neighborhood newsletter with the leftover rub-off letters from my mom's job. LEftovers are somewhat limiting, but we managed a couple of decent issues!

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:15:09 +0000

@Mom, So I won't grow out of it? :)

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:14:51 +0000

@Becca, That is very cool - esp as 16 year-old commenter above mentioned having never come in contact with typewriter (which seems a shame).

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:13:52 +0000

@cecil, Yeah, in some ways it feels totally impractical and a little bit scary (what if the pages burn up in a fire or get stolen or lost??) but even in the process of transferring from writing to computer a lot of excellent revision would happen.

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:12:55 +0000

@C, It does! Handwriting is just different.

By: Becca

Becca — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:36:03 +0000

Oooh. We just got a new high school in my town, and in the technology wing there’s a display – sort of a through-the-ages thing and they have AN UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER! My kids thought (again) that I’m a nerd for all the drooling.

By: Mom

Mom — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:17:24 +0000

I love seeing that old picture on your site! How familiar I am, too, with the “tricking” and “rewarding” oneself out of resistance. Doing it all the time.

By: C

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:29:56 +0000

Being 16 and all, I’ve never really come in contact with a typewriter before, but I agree with you all the same. All my stories written in pallpiont always seem to have more of an indie flare than the ones I write on my laptop. If that makes any sense.