# TIL: factoids about authors, productivity, creativity, writing (2024-03-23)

**URL:** <https://pluralist.net/t/til-factoids-about-authors-productivity-creativity-writing-2024-03-23/118>\
**Category:** breadcrumbs\
**Created:** [March 23, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://pluralist.net/t/til-factoids-about-authors-productivity-creativity-writing-2024-03-23/118 "2024-03-23T04:00:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![delyan](https://pluralist.net/user_avatar/pluralist.net/delyan/32/245_2.png) [@delyan](https://pluralist.net/u/delyan)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://pluralist.net/t/til-factoids-about-authors-productivity-creativity-writing-2024-03-23/118/1 "2024-03-23T04:00:00Z")

</div>

Hemingway wrote on a [Corona No. 3 typewriter](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_849999). He liked it because it was portable and he could travel with it.  
– Ok, but isn’t it just easier to carry pen and paper?

 ![NMAH-AHB2012q26489](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/f9c4f220d8530f7a7d1eba20227e04ca23fbf2fc.jpeg)

- More info on Hemingway and Corona No 3: [http://mytypewriter.com/authors/featured/hemingway.html](http://mytypewriter.com/authors/featured/hemingway.html)  
 ![hemingway2](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/abd7dd04ebb26ee4d0ad308b7946795c3a651aa8.jpeg)  
 ![hemingway3](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/5c57e5e8054e52c7251ca0e83d262ce1c6eb2379.jpeg)

### Benefits of Using a Typewriter

On a separate note… we love this specific blurb ChatGPT formed (when we asked Why Hemingway liked this typewriter):

> …The physicality of typing may have imposed a **discipline to think through sentences and phrases before committing them to paper** , which can be a **different cognitive process** compared to handwriting.

We have spent some time thinking about the cognitive load of thinking about what is to be committed to writing before it is written permanently.

- [Edsger Dijkstra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsger_W._Dijkstra): "… [one of the great advantages of working with pen and paper is that **before** you start a sentence you have to have it completely **ready in your head**](https://pluralist.net/t/on-writing-by-hand-vs-typing-thinking-through-edsger-dijkstras-denken-als-discipline-interview-2024-01-29/60#h-2-word-processors-code-editors-vs-pen-paper-3).

* * *

# Asking ChatGPT for Help

> The text below was generated by ChatGPT 4!

We asked: `Why did Hemingway prefer to write with a Corona No 3 typewriter?`

### ChatGPT replied:

Ernest Hemingway was known for his fondness for the Corona No. 3 typewriter, which was a portable and reliable machine. Hemingway’s preference for this typewriter wasn’t necessarily because it was faster than writing with a pen and paper or with pencils, but there were several reasons that could have contributed to his preference:

1. **Portability** : The Corona No. 3 was highly portable for its time. It was a folding typewriter, which made it convenient for Hemingway, who was often on the move. He could take it on his travels and write wherever he was - from a café in Paris to a campsite on safari in Africa.
2. **Durability** : Hemingway needed a typewriter that could withstand his extensive travels and the Corona No. 3 was known for its durability.
3. **Tactile Feedback** : Typewriters like the Corona No. 3 provided a different tactile feedback compared to pens and pencils. The keys required a firm press, and the immediate physicality of seeing words on paper as soon as they were typed might have been satisfying and conducive to his writing process.
4. **Mechanical Simplicity** : The mechanical simplicity of the Corona No. 3 meant that there were fewer distractions and complications involved in the writing process. It was straightforward to use, which could help maintain a flow of writing without having to deal with ink refills, sharpening pencils, or dealing with smudges and errors that are more common when writing by hand.
5. **Editing Process** : While writing on a typewriter did not have the modern conveniences of word processors, it allowed for a more deliberate approach to writing. The physicality of typing may have imposed a discipline to think through sentences and phrases before committing them to paper, which can be a different cognitive process compared to handwriting.
6. **Aesthetic and Ritual** : There’s also an aesthetic and ritualistic aspect to using a typewriter that may appeal to some authors. The sound of keys striking, the bell at the end of a line, and the act of returning the carriage can all be part of a pleasing routine that helps a writer like Hemingway get into a creative mindset.

The choice of writing tools is a highly personal one for a writer, and the tactile, visual, and auditory feedback from a typewriter can significantly affect the writing experience. Hemingway, like many writers of his era, developed a personal attachment to his typewriter, and it became an integral part of his writing life.