The Write Stuff Pro is a digital playground run by Damon DiMarco, a writer and actor based in New York City.
If you're interested in writing, storytelling, and typewriters ... why not hang out, learn about these things, and swap ideas with a seasoned pro?
That's what The Write Stuff Pro is all about!
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Just recently found my grand father's typewriter and I hope it works. looks like it is in great condition.
Excellent, @Alicangame! So happy for you. Wonder what type of machine it is. Do you know? Wishing you best of luck with it!
Cool!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi there! I've been getting into typewriters for a few months now and have been repairing my own for a bit now. How have these newly coated platens been holding up years later? I've seen some people clean and sand down the old rubber before putting the new coat on it - did you do something similar or just go for it with an already-reasonably-clean platen? Or might that be overkill? Thanks so much for this tip - my typewriters all have platens comprable to granite so this'll be great!
I'm restoring one like this and I don't know which ribbon to buy for it, there aren't many in my country and I don't know if any will fit. I have access to a 1/2", 5,5yds one, is that okay? It says it's for calculators, so Im not sure.
I can’t be certain, @Shiafuji, based on your description. In theory, any half inch width ribbon should do. Since this is an Olivetti typewriter, please remember you need a Group 4 spool, not a universal spool. There’s a slight but important difference.
Makes a lot of sense 🎉I agree fully
Excellent, @derekdelacruz9206. So glad if it helped.
Video started at 4:50
😀I'm so pleased you think so! Thanks for watching, @videoostap8066!
PREMISE: When the prince Salim[PG] falls in love[INI] with Anarkali to make her queen of India[OBJ], the king Akbar[AG] defeats son Salim and eliminates the future queen
PREMISE: When an honest police officer's[PG] entire family is killed[INI] by the dreaded dacoit[AG],he hires two young boys to take the revenge.
Not a bad start, @bakhshishsingh2711. But go deeper. For instance, beware of adjectives that pose as descriptors but tell readers nothing. Why is the dacoit (a term I'm unfamiliar with) "dreaded"? "Young" boys tells us so little. Who are they intrinsically? Opportunistic guttersnipes? Fumbling morons? Junior but seasoned assassins? Though a premise statement has four codified parts, we cannot relax into generalities. Go as deep as you can in specifics. And remember that your premise statement must always dovetail with, enrich, and be enriched by your thematic statement. I hope this helps.
Damon you spent 25 min free of cost on reading someone's script - How is that ?
Occasionally, @bakshishsingh2711, something enters my sphere that cries out for a response so our community of writers might benefit. This was one such message. Though you're quite correct that I had (and have) other matters to attend to. What can I say? You either love writing or not. Here's hoping you do. Thanks for watching and checking in.
Thanks Damon ! My biggest Flaw is that I donot know my flaw till today.
Ah, my friend. What a wonderful thing it is to know our flaws. And how much better it is to realize that our flaws are also our strengths. I wish this for you if you haven't found it already.
subscribed🍇🍈🍉🍊🍋🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍎🥭
@bakhshishsingh2711: thank you for the plentiful fruit! Healthy meals are always my preference. Wishing you all my best.
Oh my God what a wonderful eye opener AI Presentation. Thanks Damon
I'm so glad you liked it @bakhshishsingh2711. AI, I believe, will certainly defray many current efforts in writing. But these will only be low-level tasks. Good writing is always a communication of heartfelt human values and insights, for which there is currently no algorithm. Nor will there be in any near future. My best to you and yours. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The story of not having a story. Great video.
So glad you liked it, @danielbuneta. Thanks for watching!
I wish I was able to do this, my mind is constantly on my stories and trying to pull that thread
You bring up a good point, @ericaycock8728. The subconscious mind (I find) is constantly churning out questions and answers. It’s hard to disregard it at times. I suppose the real question is: does all the thread pulling accomplish anything? Or not? If yes, why not keep it? If no, can you let it go knowing the answers to all your questions will be there the next time you sit down to work? I’m so glad you responded and look forward to your reply. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco it usually does not accomplish things lol, maybe minore plot tweaks but nothing great. I have tried to be more focused and mindful about writing time is writing time, and to stop before I hit a roadblock.
Got an SM2 (1958) here in Germany for 15 EUR. It was a spare machine and did not see any use. Mechanical it's flawless, unused, but the platen and other rubber parts have gotten pretty hard in all those years. I'm really thinking about having it completely revised, but then again, the types don't punch through the paper and everything works just fine...so I'm not sure i even need the restoration
I hear you, @simonjonasmusic8410. My SM3 has similar properties. The platen is hard but the typeface doesn’t rupture the paper so … why not just let it be? (I use other machines more frequently anyway). The SM2 is an excellent machine and I’m excited for you that you found a good one, and at such an excellent price. Type well, my friend!
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Thanks for your quick reply! It's my only TW and is used frequently for clean versions of my song lyrics, which I archive in typed form. Maybe when the paper suffers, I'll have the whole machine restored in the Netherlands, they have some serious typewriter techs over there.
Who is the gentleman you sent the feed rollers to? Thanks.
Steve Dade, who has since passed. I can and do recommend JJ Short Associates in Macedon, NY as a worthy substitute. Perhaps others here in the community can also chime in with recommendations.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Thanks for the info!!
This is fascinating to me. I’ve got a couple of typewriters and a couple of laptops, When my MSWord subscription expired on my laptop and I didn’t have the money to renew, I pulled out my portable and haven’t looked back.
Old school, @jime6688. Sometimes the tried and true ways work best. Wishing you great success with your typewriting!
My friend just bought me one of these for my birthday. A wonderful gift. Interestingly enough... the person who had it before obviously put the typewriter in the case the wrong way for who knows how many decades. They put it in the big end not on the flat end. [As seen in this video] So I'll just keep doing that because the zipper doesn't go around if the typewriter is put in the case the correct way! That said... a very helpful video. Thank you.
I’m so pleased if the video helped you in any way @craigster1234. Thanks for checking in and many happy returns (get it? Returns!) with your new machine!
Thank you for this. Trying to get this old L.C. Smith 5 going. It's pristine aside from that, mineral spirits freed up the typebars. The string is broke, but I still have each end and the original hooks. Sittin pretty, lets see how it goes. This one is kind of strappy, I may try a shoestring before my fishing line ships.
A shoestring might work, @brandonthorpe9905, on a big machine like that. The only way to know for sure is to test it. If the spring is still good and you fasten the strap properly, and if the escapement is still viable, it should work. That’s a fine machine you’ve got there, I love my LC Smith. Please check back in, let us know how it goes. Wishing you good things.
I have a Remington Envoy, i don't know wich year but seems to be portable and has the code SD276831 and i don't know what spool it uses, can someone help? 😢
Hi @yennyortiz1230. Try this. www.ebay.com/itm/162134548252?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=162134548252&targetid=2299003535955&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9004077&poi=&campaignid=21214315381&mkgroupid=161363866036&rlsatarget=pla-2299003535955&abcId=9407526&merchantid=6323314&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwko21BhAPEiwAwfaQCJys54UKPoZ6kDl9nJN9-fD5ipOl35qraUeMm63fNZ3UphoVaF9_bBoC0McQAvD_BwE
You could also look up this thread. www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1b3243h/ink_ribbonspools_inquiry/
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco thank you very much, i actually thing that something is missing in My typewritter because it doesnt have anything that could lock the spool. I actually found that machine in the trash so it's posible something is actually missing. Anyway, thanks for the information, also the video was really helpfull 😁
How to succeed; Fail. Failure=Success by: Learning what not to do. Trying a different approach that ends up working. We learn more from our mistakes than we do when it just works out everytime. And that's in lots of things in life, not just in the Arts of work like Writing. But in writing one of the ways I failed first in before learning how to write the dreaded inquiry letter. That evil 1 page quick hey this is my novel, this is who I am, do you want to publish me? Through many failures, I learned how to write a better inquiry letters, that went from general generic rejection letters the secretary sent out, to either a real letter signed in real ink by the editor or Agent, to phone calls with an invitation to try again in a couple months or a year, or the I'm booked up on my listings, (too many writers already) but try so and so tell them I referred you. Yes, you must fail to learn to do better in order to actually do better, and succeed. ❤
Yea, @dadtype2339. What you said. Yes!
Great advice!
Thank you @ericaycock8728!
I'm not yet a professional writer but it is my goal to be. I appreciate this video, thankyou :))
@topsytoo, thank you for your good words. I remember someone telling me once that the only real difference between an amateur and a professional writer is that the professional kept at it. There’s truth to this, I think. And I wish you whatever you want.
Ever post a video and realize it's boring, annoying garbage? Apparently it's what KZread thinks I want to see this morning.
I'm so sorry you had this experience, @tcolondovich2996. This wasn't my intention. Please feel free to not watch my videos anymore. If you're a subscriber, please unsubscribe. Wishing you well.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco I definitely hit the "Don't recommend this channel" option from my home page after seeing part of this video. Don't worry, I'm not dumb enough to have subscribed.
@@tcolondovich2996 Fair enough, @tcolondovich2996. Wishing you well.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco I wish you the best as well. Thanks!
I have a saying that the number 1 fan in your audience, should be you, and if you write something that you go back over and do not like it, then how the hell can you expect someone else to love it? I play the piano for me, I cook and enjoy foods for me, I write for me all my passions are for my own amusement, I'm am very selfish in this one and only way, because a good writer has to first write for themselves, if you write for someone else, and I'm not talking about ghost writing here, Even a good ghost writer is writing for themselves, for all this selfishness you are in fact your worst critique, but you also have learned how to write better and more engaging stories. Like when I say, I love working on my brother EP-43 or my '64 Galaxie Deluxe by SCM or my Hermes 3000, because those machines are such good work horses, they are awesome midnight and 3am friends because they out of my small collection, just, and here it is the phrase people don't understand and you won't until you write for yourself and found the passion, but these machines I own they love to just Vanish when working on them, I could start off writing and about the 3rd page on fire lost in my imagination in that selfish world the Typewriter just slowly disappears and its all about the work. You do all that, you really got something there. I describe as like being possessed by the spirit of the story and through visions able to use a Typewriter to document the visions seen and experience. That's why I think it's why it's hard to say good bye to our characters when the manuscript has been completed and there is no part two, especially hard when one of these characters die. Writing is very powerful, you are the master and creator of that world. And if anything you write sells and becomes a movie, look at all the jobs you've created. Now, that's all from being a writer that writes for you, write for yourself first and foremost. ❤love it, absolutely love it❤
I have a nice felt pad for my typewriter and was going to buy a second one for when I work in a different room (the one I have cost $30). But then I saw one of those foam mat tiles under your laptop and I knew I had a bunch of those. So, I grabbed one and it works great as a pad for underneath my Lettera 22. Thank you, as always, for the great content and thank you for inadvertently saving me $30. It is much appreciated!
Anything that absorbs vibration and sound (the two are one in the same, @TrumpetGuy723). I currently work with thick wool sewing pads you can get off Amazon for next to nothing. Make it work! And keep typing!
I enjoy your channel Damon! Sounds like your return silencer isn’t clearing the star gear enough. That or the spacebar stop is drooping into the star gear. Just had this hiccup myself. Thanks again for your content
Your analysis is probably correct, @snackonevil. And I confess I’m too busy writing to handle such repairs myself. Appreciate your analysis. Thanks for watching and checking in. Wishing you my best.
Absolutely correct my 16 yo daughter didn't understand how exciting Jules Verne's 20,000 leagues under the Sea 1870 when it was published no NUCLEAR SUBMARINES and here is a book that was writing about science fiction that's now non fiction. Not even a seriously big book but she couldn't read it, she'd say she didn't get it as we tried to read it together, and she'd say I don't get it, what don't you get....I don't know is all I got....did I mention I'm a step parent? God help this Nation in 50 years. Hopefully Gen Z won't sell the country for free wifi from Japan.... Sigh.....
Things change. People change. Language changes. And therefore the stories we tell, and how we tell them, also change. This will never cease. But the value we hold for stories, and how best for tell our own given the times we live in… this is our mission, our trust, and our lives. Write well @dadtype2339.
Thank you, It's great to see you Damon! One thing that's taken me years to learn and develop that's helped me in my projects and this is for Book sized manuscripts. Let me tell you what I used to do, I used to try and just remember everything, then I started to take notes, then I got a pretty substantial big note book with lots of pages, and in this note book was a 1-30 pages for one story the 31-40 pages for another and sometimes the story on 1-30 would need more room and it would continue on somewhere else in the notebook and I worked this way for YEARS AND YEARS, all the while I would see in the stationary and office supplies at Walmart for example and look at all the blank notebooks and thought man I could use another fresh new notebook and the out it back as I'd say to myself, nah I have enough. All the while I was working I kept feeling like I was being chocked or no room to breathe, my notebook started to become a problem, I hated how there was no organization to it, my stories were running together and getting lost, and then for my 3rd year Anniversary my Wife bought me this nice grey soft leather journal, as erd year is a gift of cotton or leather. I got her a shirt she got me a journal. Well I decided to try something I've never done before, I would dedicate this entire 300 or 400 pages journal to 1 story, this one journal would be used for this 1 story no others just this 1. And Damon I kid you not, it was and still is amazing a great feeling that has opened my imagination to really let the story have its room and room to grow, I have found the writing has gotten a heck of a lot better, the thing is organized and having one journal dedicated to 1 story has just helped so much I really think that why Everytime I saw notebooks at the story my mind was telling me what my stories want, their own space to grow! Well, that was in November, seeing how much I loved that for Christmas my Wife bought me 20 more of these journals and when I want to start a new story I grab a new journal and make it for that story only, writing in one journal for one story seems like something that should have been done on it's own just I come from the CA of the 1980s where we try to waste little and recycle EVERYTHING. my first step is work the story in the journal, and then when I have it down enough to where I can see and hear and even smell the cologne my characters wear the perfumes on the ladies, hearing their voices, smelling the foods to feeling their cars and houses the world is at least 75% there and the story outlined 100% I then start my first draft on Typewriter, 6 to 10 pages Mon - Sat, 10 is my goal single spaced pages, but the least I can do before walking away is 6 pages. If I stick to that in 1 month I have a rough 1st draft. That has taken me years to learn and it's only gotten better. 3 things that's taken years to learn through technique trial and error: 1st character and world construction story outline in a notebook all to itself. No more Notebook sharing. 2nd is to 1st draft on Typewriters to creatively write without any distractions. And finally set and keep a Goal of 10 single spaced pages, but no less than 6 pages; 6 days a week, in about a month I have a book. A bad 1st draft as all first drafts are, but a completed manuscript nonetheless. Then from there, the manuscript is 3 hole punched into a 3 ring binder, and then edited as it's transferred 10 pages at a time into what I call the editing machine...aka The Computer. Then the 3rd Draft is off to my Editor aka my Wife who is an Editor, she loves it, something I found out while we dated, I write fiction she says I can't write but I love to edit, was an editor for a paper in high school, was an editor for local paper, edits at work, even as she reads big name authors she says she edits their work. Well long enough, apologies for any typos written on my phone and YT doesn't give enough space to edit on a phone. Missed Damon, next month will probably be the month I scoop up your online workshop. Had some other expenses come up. Cheers
Sounds like you know what you’re up to @dadtype2339. Always a pleasure to hear from you and thanks as always for sharing your experiences with crafting a story. Excellent ideas!
Good teaching
Thank you, @NabukenyaAnita-n2p!
so true, and very well put
Thank you for saying so, @allan2240. Much obliged for watching and checking in.
07/16/2024 I'm going to start dating these letters. Okay, I hope the project is going well! Miss your content Damon! And although I could stop there, I feel I must go on and bring you in my world a little bit. Happy to say I am coming up on a close of a manuscript myself, approaching page 200, all single spaced hand typed pages, and it feels amazing, just so much more real than anything written in the cold synthetic endless pages of hollow light and electric ink that is the computer. Course being a first draft it's crap, but what glorious crap it is! It feels good to pull out a Typewriter sit in front of it, been going back and forth between my 1959 Hermes 3000, love that smooth mechanical thump, thump, thump it does, and I've also been writing on my 1964 SCM Galaxie Deluxe, as it too is a work-horse machine and that crisp snap snap snap that is a familiar Smith Corona trait. And on days I just couldn't make it to the table, 70 - 80 of those pages were written from bed on my 1990 brother EP-43 thermal typewriter. And it's great to set at the table, machine ready, paper ready, a pencil, white out, and the thick folder just stuffed with story I've basically transcribed from the land of make believe into the world that needs this cruel cosmic horror escape. I've mentioned all this not in show off fashion but to say thank you, thank you for your videos here on KZread, and all the hard work you do, your creative workshops have helped me, and I miss you, and although I know you would want me to continue on with the work, it will indeed continue, I would just like to say, I hope there is a point in which you will come back, as I'm sure my writing table isn't the only table that's missing you. I replay your videos and hear you intructing and inspiring as I work and seriously look forward to a new post of content. I'm sure I am not the only one, eagerly awaiting for you, Damon. Take a break and make a video, even if it's just an update. Miss you man! Hope this finds you well My Friend! Continuing to plug away to the end, because eventually, that Bell will sound for the last time on this work. And man, I've helped put a crap ton of wings on the Angels! 🎉
Apologies for replying so late, @dadtype2339. I'm so glad you keep getting value out of the videos. Apologies if you feel there's been a lack in content. Things have been busy here. The Shorts I've been putting out have been gratifying to make. And instructive, I hope. I plan to put an update out soon and, if nothing else, embrace our rebranding of the channel. As far as writing goes, it sounds like you have your own process well in hand, as always. Congrats on that, and on your machines ... all of which I think are exceptional choices. Keep at it!
I just got one of these beauties. It was made in Toronto, Canada, so it's not a true Olivetti? 😂 Really great instructional video on how to use this thing.
Hi @Anothy. I believe it’s a true Olivetti made in Toronto. At one point, Olivetti had factories in Mexico, Spain, Scotland, Canada, Italy (of course), and the former Yugoslavia (if memory serves. I’ve been told by longtime typewriter repair personnel that each factory maintained consistent specs as stipulated by the mother office. Your Olivetti should therefore be as good as any other. Enjoy it! Thanks for watching and checking in!
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Good to know. Mine does have slight differences but nothing major. Thanks!
@@AnothyMinor differences add character. My personal credo. Keep writing, @Anothy. Keep writing!
Damon, Months ago I watched "Mr & Mrs Typewriter" 's KZread video on their 10 favorite units, and from their assessment watched eBay warily for a Lettera 22. Today's my lucky day; the local Antique store had it (an early blue one) in its case (bad zipper) with no obvious damage or rust, under $100 "as found". I have it home now, and discovered your channel this afternoon in my research. The unit remains untested, and I am now an active beneficiary of your videos. Hope to return the machine to loving service soon, and will add to this comment as the process progresses. THANK YOU.
@redarrowsmk3: The Lettera 22 is justifiably famous for being stalwart, stylish, lightweight but with the full functionality of a portable machine. I'm chuffed to think you got a good one and wish you many happy typing sessions. Don't worry about the zipper. 95% of Lettera 22 and 32 cases have zippers that have gone bad. However, these can often be replaced by bringing the case to a seamstress or tailor. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco, Thank you for a reassuring second opinion. As promised, I do have some exciting updates. A common problem with seized Olivettis is the universal bar (that barely touches the shift-depth screw) jams itself beside the screw instead. A total lack of carriage advance was resolved in 30 seconds :) The drawband string was also laid loose, so I rewound that 4-5x and easily traced it back to the carriage end. 50 brownie points to your video. The variable line spacing knob remains seized on, and I have yet to find a 4mm wrench that will turn the metal rod between the knob and the platon. Wish me luck XD The serial number dates my unit to 1954. Being a Maine resident, I am overjoyed at the complete lack of rust. A healthy dental appointment with 30 psi of air and carb/choke cleaner got the inner workings cleaner than anything. Now each lettercase faintly squeaks, so I will mix isopropyl alcohol and a tiny bit of sewing machine oil and go over the linkages, being super careful not to let any of it come into contact with the typeface or segment. The dirty paint polished up BEAUTIFULLY. Excellent quality paint used on these machines. I am delighted with the "delicate, but strong; fancy, but bold" typeface and the ribbon, which somehow has life left in it. Whoever engineered the pin set bar in back of the machine for setting tabs is an unspoken genius. I must have sat and marveled at it until my head spun with dehydration. I am still working out the sticky line-spacing toggle and all four feet/screws being missing, but for now...I am incredibly happy. I fully agree with you in the video you shared on manual creativity and the lackluster nature of laptop computer documents. This typewriter and I are experiencing a whole second lifetime of seemingly feverish impulse to create. Thanks again, and many well wishes! I would love to see how, if at all, you address rust on old typewriter innards. Restoring my machine has left me fascinated indeed.
I inherited my Dad's 64 SC5AX Sterling which appears to have exactly the same mechanism as the SS. I must say it is a superb machine. A very light touch and extremely well made. Very impressive. By the way, despite its age it still works very well.
Excellent, @jkeelsnc. I don't know the model you mention but if it's the same mechanism as the SS, it must indeed be a superb machine. Congrats on acquiring it and using it well. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Same. Even the TAB set and MR key are exactly the same and in the same location. If you lift the typewriter up and look underneath the escapement and the rest of the mechanism is identical to the SS. The basket (and basket shift) is exactly the same as well as the type bars. The "shell" of the typewriter is VERY similar to the SS as well.
Hi Damon, first let me apologize for the confusion. I am new to the typewriter community, so I am gathering information about typewriter repairs and asking other people in the typewriter community for advice so far, I’ve gotten advice to ask about upkeep, what can I do to keep the machine running and more, I want to see if you have any more advice for me.
Hi @quinishashorts73. Thanks for clarifying. A couple of things that will probably improve your experience with your machine: 1) Clean your typeface regularly with a wire brush. This removes accumulated ink. Sort of like brushing your typewriter’s teeth. It will ensure that the characters show up boldly and clearly on your pages. 2) Leave your paper release open when not using your machine. This keeps your feed rollers from flattening which makes it hard or impossible to roll paper through the platen. 3) Cover your typewriter or put it back in its case when not using it. This keeps the machine from getting dusty. Dust is not good for the typewriter’s machinery. 4) Never use WD-40 to lubricate your typewriter. It’s too thick and it resinizes, gumming up your works over time. Your typewriter requires little or no lubrication. Use gun oil or light spindle oil if anything. 5) Keep learning everything you can about typewriters. It’s a lifelong education, it’s useful, and it’s fun! Thanks again for checking in!
Hi Damon, I have a question for you, if you did not repair your typewriters. Yourself and you took them to another repair person What questions would you ask them? Thank you so much.
Hi @quinishashorts73. I'm sorry, I don't think I understand your question. If you're brining your typewriter to a repair specialist, it's usually for one of three reasons. 1) There could be a cosmetic problem with the typewriter. It needs a new paint job. The decals are smudged. The appearance is off somehow. But it works. Most repair specialists can help you with these issues. 2) You're bringing your machine in for a tune-up. Like other machines (a car, for example) regular tune-ups help keep your typewriter in good working order and can increase the pleasure and efficacy you derive from using them. 3) The machine doesn't work. This can manifest in dozens of ways. The carriage doesn't move when you press the keys. The paper doesn't feed properly. Tabulation is off. The shift lock won't hold. And so on. Let's assume you're speaking of a #3 issue. I would ask your repair person to diagnose the issue and explain it in simplest terms. Ask them if they've fixed that problem before and if they've fixed that problem particularly on the same model typewriter you have. Ask them how much the repair will cost and how long it will take. Ask them if you can bring the typewriter back to them if they fix the problem but it acts up again. I hope this helps. Please let me know if it does or doesn't. Thanks for watching and commenting!
As a 50ish woman, I've never had a partner who supported my creativity. More likely to be jealous, sabotage, or accuse me of getting help (from a man of course). At this age I've mostly given up finding a partner because of this pattern. My creativity and growth is more important, even if that won't include growth in a relationship. I suppose this is just one of many types of naysayers that present hurdles for creative people.
@eljoy5280: I’m imagining you finding a partner who defies all previous models and expectations. I imagine your world being rocked by new paradigms, new possibilities, new patterns, and new horizons. I imagine you already recognize that, in an infinite universe, all things are possible. Yes, all things. Even those things which you believe are not, have never been, or never will be possible. There are ways upon ways upon ways, my friend. There are doors upon doors, and all of these doors swing open under the right sort of touch. Go forward. Seek, and ye shall find. Know what you deserve. And claim it. Thanks for watching and checking in and sharing.
One day I started writing on yellow pad paper, black ink. I wrote fast, I didn’t fiddle with plot. Plot was wasted on me. Character was the thing. I could 27:26 see it. I could hear it. So I wrote it; as fast as I could. I was happy. I still have no plot, and I should be unhappy, but I’m not: A plot and a premise is coming together. I recognize it is ESSENTIAL and I’ve been looking for it all this time. I’m on the far end of the “pantsing” spectrum. I can’t help it. Yes yes I know I’m in for a lot of revision. When I finally nail down my premise It will add drama, conflict, and all the rest. I had to start with character, their strengths and pathetic selves. I know it’s backwards, but it is the most compelling for me; and so became my starting point when the pen met the paper. Your video came late to me, but it’s not too late. As my character “Guppy “ would say “Sorry, Sorry, Sorry .” (Asperger kid). Ha ha, writing is SO fun. Thanks for answering Frankie’s question.
@joerideabike, some of the best fiction comes out of character as you’ve described it. I’m thinking of Flowers for Algernon and a terrific book called Mary After All by my friend Bill Gordon. And dozens of others. Yes, you may be in for revisions, and yes it might not be a case of premise and theme first. But follow your instincts. Make your own technique. This is what craft is all about. Thanks for watching and writing in. Wishing you my best.
One of the things I noticed about the Hermes 3000 (mine is °1970, boxy model) is that I don't have to realign the paper after inserting it. I've used typewriters before, this is the first where adjustment is not needed. It was an accidental purchase, my kid never had used a typewriter before, so I bought it second hand for about €100. Works perfectly. As it goes, the novelty factor wore off quickly, so now I'm the one using it. I wrote exclusively on Scrivener, but now I use a hybrid workflow: iA Writer for quick drafts, Hermes 3000 to check for flow, weed out the passive sentences and to shorten and edit my often too long prose. Love the techno pica font on that 3000. Never thought I would go back to the typewriter🙂
Hi @bartrammeloo5046. I hear you. I, too, use a hybrid workflow. Though mine typically moves from typewriter to Scrivener to Word and out the door. Bottom line: do whatever it takes to keep the work moving. This includes telling people, in my case: "No, I'm sorry. Can't do that today. I'm writing." Thanks for watching and checking in. Wishing you my best.
Typewriters came in all kinds of cool flashy colors. Computer keyboards come in...........black and gray. Okay, some mechanical keyboards are flashy but 98% of people are using a very bland, industrial, dystopian looking keyboard. Then again everything has gone that way. Watching cars pass on the road is almost like watching a black and white movie.
I never saw it that way before, @BookClubDisaster ... but now I do. You propose a vision that's one of those "once you see it, you can't unsee it, kinds of things." Thanks for that. And for watching and checking in. Well met.
Exceptional information! Thank you Damon.
My pleasure and well met @jeffreyalbertson2885!
You look and sound a bit like Liam Neeson but with less hair.
I think Liam’s a dynamite actor and he strikes me as a good man, @hornitorrincoperezoso2189. My way of saying thanks for the compliment and thanks for watching!
Hi Damon! I just got a really nice turquoise 1973 Studio 45, and absolutely love using it. The key action is extremely satisfying! There is just one thing which worries me about this machine and the other Olivettis: As they lack the actual key for number 1, I am wondering if this will cause lots of extra work if I use these machines to do my manuscripts? I haven't tried this yet, but once I scan the pages and send them to Google Docs, I assume that the OCR recognizes every number 1 in my text as the lowercase letter L, forcing me to manually change each of them later to an actual number 1. Perhaps this isn't a huge problem, but it is something I have been thinking about. Could you share your experience with this? I do have other solid typewriters which do have the number 1, but none of these really match the Studio 45 on how comfortable it is to type with. Despite these hesitations, I also have both the Lettera 22 and 32 on the way. Was supposed to buy just one of them, but I thought that the seller of the 32 got offended of my offer of 50 € for his very good condition 32 (he was selling it for 80 €, discounted from 90 €). I got impatient as he had seen the message but had not answered, so I went and bought the 22 for 40 €. Then of course the guy selling the 32 answered and accepted my offer, and I didn't have the heart to back down anymore... Oh well, the more the merrier, I guess...
Hi @3AMJH. OCR (optical character recognition) technology can be a mixed bag in general. For typewriter, haven’t found a typescript yet that scans perfectly so there’s always some work involved … though not nearly so much work as retyping a whole manuscript, to say nothing of many times as whole sections get edited. We’re it me, I’d accept this small problem as just another part of the process. Personally I feel that any chance to reread a manuscript offers possibilities to enrich it. Making sure that your 1s aren’t lowercase Ls and vice versa… just handle it and keep reading for flow, style, tone, scansion, and so on. Believe me, I get the urge to buy more than one machine. I currently have … ahem. Many. Just remember (if I may be so bold) that the tool is not the craft. The craft is the work, which must be done no matter how we prefer to do it, or whether or not we even want to. Write well, my friend.
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco Thank you for the answer, Damon. I do translation work (from English to Finnish, mostly) and I like to do the initial version on paper with a mechanical pencil, and recently I have brought mechanical typewriters into the process. I have started using them for going through the handwritten manuscript, after which the intention is to scan them and do more editing and then submit the work for proof-reading. I now have my first typewritten manuscript waiting to be scanned, uploaded and edited. I noticed quickly that this work is way more fun with typewriters involved, and somehow I concentrate better on the text itself as well; especially after I become comfortable with the machine; its operation, its particular quirks etc. I appreciate the comment about the tool not being the craft. I have acquired about 15 machines in a short time, and now that I am starting to figure out which ones are the best for doing actual work with at home, outdoors or while traveling, I will start getting rid of the extras. The Corona Four, for example, is really fun to use and very pretty to look at, but not very practical for my work for various reasons. My wide-carriage Hermes 3000 has a cute sans serif typeface called Epoca, but I prefer serifs for work. I also find that its mushy type action starts to feel heavy after a while (it sounds really cool though), so it will probably have to go as well. Getting rid of some might also convince my dear wife that I don't have a typewriter problem after all. :)
@@3AMJH Sounds to me like you have a problem ... but it can be managed, as most problems can. I love the idea of doing translation work via typewriter. Good on you for that. And I agree about the Corona Four. I have one. Lovely machine. Very steampunk. Exquisite to look at. Not really the best machine for sustained work. Well met and keep going, @3AMJH. Write on!
I have the Lettera 22 blues. I bought something in good shape over eBay and it came like they dropped it from a flying plane. Upon buying it I had it sent to my niece’s in NewYork for it to be sent to a CLA at the bespoke New York typewriter repair. Their proverbial lead times impeded my niece to return it as crap. To them it is a total loss! Despite the return window having shut closed, the vendor sent me a spare mechanism to exchange, however, it might still be a total loss! The corpse of the machine is now at my tech’s in Costa Rica, with the spare mechanism or movement. However, he has little or no experience in Letteras. I’m trying to find the former representative to find their former tech. Perhaps he’s still alive!
@rbruce63, so sorry to hear this. Though it's not unusual (sadly), and my top reason for being ultra-careful when buying machines through the Internet. Even then, you might get burned. Hoping that all works out well for you, and thanks for checking in.
I am z generation and I am fond of typewriter
Excellent, @gayatrinanda7178. Excellent!
I can tell you from very recent experience this will work on any Olivetti Dora/underwood 315/Lettera 31 (or 33/DL). Had the good fortune to find a Spanish made Olivetti model T which is the same thing, dirt cheap and practically never used which is common, sadly, with Doras and 31s. Of course it's all gunked up with dry old grease inside, but once it got going it worked a charm. She wrote maybe seventy five pages before she started skipping letters up and down, and I thought "wait - I've seen this exact thing on youtube..." Two minutes of cleaning and she's good as new again; which, as I said, she is. :) It's kind of amazing when you actually use your typewriters they get dirty and jam up, and then you just clean them and they start working again; it's almost like they *want* to work, like they had some innate sense of mechanical necessity. That's probably my favourite thing about manual typewriters.
I love this @irmabecx4758. I think that typewriters do indeed want to work. In this regard they’re sort of like our minds. They need to be de-gunked on a regular basis, cleaned, and maintained. If we don’t do this, it’s not the machine’s fault, it’s ours. Very pleased to hear this method works on your Dora. Also pleased to hear that you’re typing away. Keep going. Keep going!
@@TheWriteStuffPro-DamonDiMarco I'm waiting for my first Lettera 32 to be delivered, so will have reason to revisit your videos. Thank you for sharing all this technical knowledge; I wasn't afraid of buying a machine sight unseen because I knew I can get it working. Real marvels of engineering, these Olivettis (although not as solid as my Facit), and they have certainly worked wonders for my creativity. :)
@@irmabecx4758 I'm so glad to hear it, @irmabecx4758. The thing about typewriters (as you point out) ... you can get them working. They're really so much simpler to operate than, say, a word processing program. And while software certainly allows for easier editing and export, to my experience, there's nothing like working analog to generate a first draft. The artisanal feel of working by pencil (or pen) and paper, or typewriter, highlights the direct connection between creator and that which is created. The lack of delete functionality means we must plough ahead, warts and all, mistakes be damned, and get things done. Funny that so many of our "mistakes" turn out to be better than what we originally conceived of. Wishing you all the best with your work. Thanks for watching and checking in.
Maybe I should start doing this, you are inspiring person.
Like everything else in life, my friend, I recommend that you try it. If it doesn't work out, at least you can say you've learned something important.
There's nothing wrong with still using a typewriter in fact it does help to stay away from electronics. 😁
We couldn't agree more, @maxwellchallender6852. Now get back to work on your typewriter!
I just purchased my first typewriter since 1983, when I owned an electric. I purchased the Olympia SM3 (German keyboard). I love it, and now I"m wondering if there is anything better out there. My question has to do with feel. How would you describe the difference in feel between using the SM3 vs. a top full-sized typewriter?
Hi @jdouglasj2000. Sorry to respond so late. I love m’y Olympia SM3 specifically because of its bright snappy touch and the undercarriage springs that keep all keys level and sensitive. Glad to hear that you love yours. Is there anything better out there? I can’t answer that since the criteria are so subjective. If you like the Olympia SM3, you might want to experiment with the more buttery and luxurious Hermes 3000. Or, one of my personal favorites, the Smith-Corona Silent-Super. Old Remingtons sometimes have comparable action. These are not full-sized machines but you may wish to explore them first. Of the full-sized machines I’ve used, I’m taken with my Royal KMG and highly recommend it. Hope this helps and wishing you happy typing.