If you had to do it on a--gulp--TYPEWRITER

gp101 · Nov 19, 2007

So we have the monthly (sometimes weekly) chat about outline vs freestyle, stream of conscienceness vs rigid plotline chats. ND to newbies on the board, but how many of you would stick to the "no outline at all costs" mentality if you had to produce your ms on a typewriter? No more cutting and pasting in seconds, no more deleting entire blocks unless you start over from the BEGINNING, no more quick corrections unless your trigger finger is steady with the white-out.

For those of you who have no idea what white-out is, or have no conception of a life without instant corrections, consider yourselves lucky.

Personal disclaimer: I'm an outliner, and I started my short-lived career in journalism in the late 80s with a Royal typewriter. Maybe that's why I'm an outliner.

But I'm interested... if you had to start your story from the beginning if you found enough errors in your story--or another direction in your story--that required you to start from the beginning, would you still shy away from adopting an outline even after your first draft? Rewriting 300 pages word-by-word gets old fast. I know I'd want a particular direction to go in.

Not trying to prove anything here. I realize it's a dead point considering we all have the ability to change our stories instantaneously, but what if you couldn't? How many true beginning-to-end revisions do you think you could handle? How many trees have we saved with the advent of computers/word processors? How many fewer people would be trying to become a writer if you had to use a typewriter?

When can we get a stickey RE: outlining vs no outlining, and another for word count?

NicoleMD · Nov 19, 2007

Interesting question. I'd be just as likely to turn out perfect prose on a first draft on a typewriter as I would on a computer...which is to say no chance at all, so why worry about it? I don't think it would change my non-outlining ways one bit. A draft is a draft, no matter what my media. (I hand write a lot too.)

As for retyping everything, it's just another chance to catch stuff and revise. I'd probably hire someone to retype after the first couple times through though. And as for wasting paper...I'm the queen of that right now, so using a typewriter might actually save a tree for me.

Nicole

Doogs · Nov 19, 2007

Considering I wrote my draft longhand, scratching away with pen and paper, this is sort of a moot point for me.

Revisions are another matter altogether. Although I am a rigid outliner, I couldn't imagine how long it would have to take to revise, rewrite, revise, rinse and repeat using either a pen OR a typewriter.

truelyana · Nov 19, 2007

For me, the typewriter is a gateway to heaven. Although I've not touched mine in over a year and a half, I must admit it still stands here ever more beautifully then before. I feel more freer in terms of writing on the typewriter, then MS Word. I think the automated corrections on MS Word sometimes add to the long stop halts, and simultaneous outlines throughout the whole course of it. I actually feel a whole lot better using the typewriter, as the option of rewriting and revisions don't come into mind. It's interesting as it seems like MS Word is rather more of a barrier than the typewriter, and I use MS the most.

sunna · Nov 19, 2007

I already outline, but I break ranks with my own plans far too often (and when I'm not doing it, my characters are).

No cut & paste? No *whimper* spellcheck, word count, and hyperlinked TOC? No backup to flash drive, CD and remote server? No track changes?

Eeeek.

I'd write longhand, in a notebook, with a pencil and a lot of stickies. I'd probably only type it when I'd gotten past the 4th draft.

Of course, I've never seen a typewriter up close, so I might need to take a class or something.

Azure Skye · Nov 19, 2007

When I first started writing, I used a typewriter and I didn't even know how to type then. I was a hunter and peckerer, err...whatever. Anyway, I ended writing a lot by hand and if I wanted it to look pretty, I typed it up later which is what I think I would do in your scenario. It would still be difficult though since I do edits on hard copy. I do know one thing though: those edits would be so thorough that I would only make one pass. Yeah, typing up copy is my least favorite thing.

The computer has made it easier and I don't know what I would do without it. ::

urrs and nuzzles computer:::

C.bronco · Nov 19, 2007

gp101 said:
But I'm interested... if you had to start your story from the beginning if you found enough errors in your story--or another direction in your story--that required you to start from the beginning, would you still shy away from adopting an outline even after your first draft? Rewriting 300 pages word-by-word gets old fast. I know I'd want a particular direction to go in.

I would hire a secretary.

preyer · Nov 19, 2007

ditto the longhand.

FinbarReilly · Nov 19, 2007

No outline? I'd do it longhand, no question...In fact, that's basically how I did my first script....

FR

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 19, 2007

I'm not sure how an outline is connected with the writing instrument.

I started on a typewriter. I used a typewriter for over a decade. There were no computers.

I never outlined. I still don't outline.

The two aren't related.

Soccer Mom · Nov 19, 2007

I started on a typewriter, but I usually composed on paper. And you know which camp to add me into (my siggie line says it all).

a_sharp · Nov 19, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
I'm not sure how an outline is connected with the writing instrument.

I started on a typewriter. I used a typewriter for over a decade. There were no computers.

I never outlined. I still don't outline.

The two aren't related.

What Shadow_Ferret said, only longer with the typewriter. I was ever so glad to put that thing away, along with its clunky way of killing an idea before I could ~~got it~~ ~~get it~~ ~~put it~~ write it on ~~papper~~ paper. Where was I?

kuwisdelu · Nov 19, 2007

I also don't see the connection. For me, anyway.

It would bother me that I couldn't go back and edit something that I'd just written, because I usually edit-as-I-go. I can't really go on with the manuscript until I'm satisfied with everything I've written so far. I'm not sure whether a typewriter would merely exacerbate this problem or be a cure for it. But I'm usually not the kind that needs to change whole sections for consistency, etc., just the kind that frets endlessly over a single sentence/paragraph/passage, so I still wouldn't use an outline. No need.

awatkins · Nov 19, 2007

Oh, my...I well remember the days of typing page after page of story and then actually cutting the stuff apart with scissors and taping the paragraphs back together in more suitable combinations...then retyping the whole thing...and paying my little sister to count words for me. And then I got an electric typewriter! The speed made me delirious. lol

Love me my computer and printer, uh huh.

ETA: Outline vs no outline. Depends on what I'm writing and how well formed my ideas are before I sit down to work. Sometimes I outline, sometimes I don't. Mostly I don't. Was the same when I used a typewriter.

Not trying to prove anything here. I realize it's a dead point considering we all have the ability to change our stories instantaneously, but what if you couldn't? How many true beginning-to-end revisions do you think you could handle?

As many as it takes.

How many trees have we saved with the advent of computers/word processors?

Probably lots.

How many fewer people would be trying to become a writer if you had to use a typewriter?

That would depend on how badly the person wants to write. If one really wants to write, the machine, or lack of, won't stand in the way, IMO

LloydBrown · Nov 19, 2007

I couldn't do it. At least, not with 10% of the speed, and that would frustrate me to no end.

JohnDavidPaxton · Nov 19, 2007

As a rigid outliner, one who uses a great deal of strategery before I even write the first line, and have blueprints of motifs and arcs ready to go, I find it difficult to believe that someone who wings it wouldn't because of the medium.

If they had to do it on a typewriter and they found that they had to cut a lot out...they could just literally cut those parts out with scissors? I mean, crazy as it sounds, they could cut...with scissors...and paste...with glue.

I'd also argue that it's probably a good exercise for everyone to retype their story once they are done. Word for word. You learn things about what you wrote that way.

scarletpeaches · Nov 19, 2007

What makes you think those of us who write freestyle make use of cut-and-paste? I never have. I just start at the beginning and write straight through to the end. Editing comes later so it makes no difference if I use a computer, typewriter or write longhand (and I've done all of the above).

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 19, 2007

Exactly, I write the same on a typewriter as I do on a computer. Full out, pedal to the metal, leave the typos behind for the re-edit.

bluemoonscribe · Nov 19, 2007

I would be better off writing them in long hand.

TrickyFiction · Nov 19, 2007

I used to write longhand before typing it on a typewriter or one of those old word processors. I almost kind of miss doing it that way because it prevented me from making corrections while I wrote. Writing was writing, editing was editing, and the two rarely crossed paths. It was a simpler time. *sigh*

J. R. Tomlin · Nov 19, 2007

gp101 said:
So we have the monthly (sometimes weekly) chat about outline vs freestyle, stream of conscienceness vs rigid plotline chats. ND to newbies on the board, but how many of you would stick to the "no outline at all costs" mentality if you had to produce your ms on a typewriter? No more cutting and pasting in seconds, no more deleting entire blocks unless you start over from the BEGINNING, no more quick corrections unless your trigger finger is steady with the white-out.

I don't write like that anyway. Your assumption that anyone who writes without an outline writes carelessly or in a helter skelter fashion isn't correct. I rarely do any of those things.

Would I like composing on a typewriter. No, but it has nothing to do with the fact that I don't outline. Having to type a ms over numerous times from scratch (which you WILL have to do if you do thorough edits) isn't my idea of fun.

MMWyrm · Nov 19, 2007

I do not outline. I write straight through from beginning to end on the first draft. Second draft? I actually type the whole thing again in the word file, making changes as I go. I catch more that way.

With a typewriter, I'd just type the whole thing again and again until I had it right. And my fingers would look like a weight lifter's arms.

DeleyanLee · Nov 19, 2007

gp101 said:
So we have the monthly (sometimes weekly) chat about outline vs freestyle, stream of conscienceness vs rigid plotline chats. ND to newbies on the board, but how many of you would stick to the "no outline at all costs" mentality if you had to produce your ms on a typewriter? No more cutting and pasting in seconds, no more deleting entire blocks unless you start over from the BEGINNING, no more quick corrections unless your trigger finger is steady with the white-out.

Ah, I wrote my first seven books on a Crown manual typewriter without a plot. Honestly, I miss it in some ways because it forced me to form ideas into concepts into words a lot better than word processing demands of me.

And, FWIW, erasable typing paper was the way to do it. White-Out took too long to dry and only electric typewriters had correction tape. LOL!

sunandshadow · Nov 20, 2007

If I had to use a typewriter I'd write it out longhand first so I could scratch things out and scribble in note, and only type the final draft.

Elodie-Caroline · Nov 20, 2007

So long as my arthritic neck and wrists could take it, I would write down the whole novel, freehand, before even attempting to type it out. I guess I'd be going through loads of correction fluid too

Elodie

If you had to do it on a--gulp--TYPEWRITER

gp101

NicoleMD

Onomatopotamus

Doogs

truelyana

Set yourself free

sunna

Azure Skye

Huh?

C.bronco

I have plans...

preyer

excessively spartan

FinbarReilly

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

a_sharp

Somebody give me an A

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

awatkins

Not harboring illegal parrot

LloydBrown

JohnDavidPaxton

scarletpeaches

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

bluemoonscribe

TrickyFiction

Who?

J. R. Tomlin

MMWyrm

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

Elodie-Caroline