Fountain pen Quote by Ian McEwan
““In the seventies I used to work in the bedroom of my flat at a little table. I worked in longhand with a fountain pen. I'd type out a draft, mark up the typescript, type it out again. Once I paid a professional to type a final draft, but I felt I was missing things I would have changed if I had done it myself. In the mid-eighties I was a grateful convert to computers. Word processing is more intimate, more like thinking itself. In retrospect, the typewriter seems a gross mechanical obstruction. I like the provisional nature of unprinted material held in the computer's memory - like an unspoken thought. I like the way sentences or passages can be endlessly reworked, and the way this faithful machine remembers all your little jottings and messages to yourself. Until, of course, it sulks and crashes.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2010
The passage describes the evolution from manual typewriting to digital word processing, highlighting increased intimacy, flexibility, and the ability to revise thoughts seamlessly.
In simple terms: Digital writing feels more like thinking than typing.
Key Takeaway
Embrace tools that let ideas evolve fluidly.
Themes
technology
creativity
revision
memory
Mood
nostalgic
analytical
Type
reflective
inspirational
When to use this quote
- authoring a novel
- academic writing
- blogging
- scriptwriting
Key Concepts
digital drafting
creative process
writing workflow
Questions to Reflect On
- What habits from typewriting still benefit digital writing?
- How do we balance spontaneity with revision?
A Different Perspective
Technical glitches can disrupt the creative flow.
