The dream of a typewriter

I have a dream of a typewriter. I was lamenting how I simply cannot afford a laptop to type on while I am lounging in bed (I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so that happens quite a lot). So, I went on my trusty computer and drooled over unaffordable laptops on Amazon.com. I simply don't have the cash for any extras. Even a decade old, dumb refurbished laptop would be too much.

But then, I typed in the search words "word processor." A word processor is something from my youth. They are dinosaurs that have since died out from the meteor showers of computers featuring awesome Word programs. Because these computers and their programs keep getting better and better, and keep coming faster and harder, the poor word processors have been pummeled into near oblivion.

However, a few of these dinosaurs still lurk in hidden corners of the planet (and on Amazon.com). They are now called electronic typewriters. In fact, if you type in word processor on Amazon, what you will find are a variety of Word programs for sale. There is also one real word processor device that has no ability to print, but that's not what I was interested in.

It was the electronic typewriters that caught my fancy. Everyone has seen the romantic images of a writer typing on a typewriter. It is such a heroic process. It i t sn'like on a computer where you can save and edit as you will. No. A typewriter takes a lot of love to work with. You type and it prints. Voila. No going back. You punch the keys with conviction and it gives you your words on white piece of paper.

Now, and electronic typewriter is not an old fashioned typewriter. They have tiny LCD screens that show a line of words words  before printing. They also have spell check and even a dictionary. But that whole idea of typing out my words and just having it instantly printed out for me was an exciting thought. Part of the problem with typing on a computer is that you cannot just read through your work like a book. Turning the pages is so essential to me when reviewing work that is more than just a page. For a whole novel, in order to make it work and edit appropriately, I really need to see the words in my hands. I think that is why I wrote my first novel at 17 by hand and then typed it up. I really need to just peruse it, flipping between the pages, editing as needed or coming up with new ideas.

Whoever thought that I would want a typewriter more than a laptop.