“Everything you type on a typewriter sounds grand, the words forming in mini-explosions of SHOOK SHOOK SHOOK. A thank-you note resonates with the same heft as a literary masterpiece.”
Tom Hanks

Tom’s got my vote! In fact, he’s so in love with the sound and the touch of a manual that he’s introduced an app for the iPad called Hanx Writer that mimics the sounds of a typewriter, from the pecking keys to the little “ding” at the end of a line. And guess what: Tom’s turn-your iPad- into- a-typewriter app is currently the #1 in the iTunes App Store.

I have to agree with Tom that there is something tremendously satisfying about banging away on a manual typewriter. Just recently, I pulled out my old black Corona and I’ve been using it to type up my rewrites before inputting them on my computer. I’ve found that pecking out a draft on my typewriter slows me down and makes it easier for me to edit.

Just recently, I took my typewriter out onto my porch, set myself up with some paper and a cup of tea and was pounding away. Just the sound of it made me feel productive! A neighbor walked by and asked, “Writing the Great American Novel?” I laughed and said, “Just doing my Hemingway.” And he laughed. That started me thinking about successful writers who used manuals to craft their books: Truman Capote, JD Salinger, Edna Ferber, to name a few. Edna was so attached to her typewriter that she carted a portable one all over the world with her.

The Hanx Writer intrigues me: cutting-edge technology and Old World charm — what an intriguing blend. Bravo, Hank. Write on!