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Practice your writing by typing out classic literature. This method not only enhances your understanding of rhythm, structure, and nuances but also connects you deeply with the timeless flow of literary history.This is a BETA version.

Type the words from the book. We gave you 4 words to start with.

Mrs. Dalloway

by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway is a novel by Virginia Woolf, first published in 1925. It is a modernist novel that follows a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a society hostess in post-World War I England. The novel explores themes of time, memory, and the human psyche.

Read more about Virginia Woolf
Mrs. Dalloway
had gone to London leaving an absurd note behind him, such as great
men have written, and the world has read later when the story of their
struggles has become famous.

London has swallowed up many millions of young men called Smith;
thought nothing of fantastic Christian names like Septimus with which
their parents have thought to distinguish them. Lodging off the Euston
Road, there were experiences, again experiences, such as change a face
in two years from a pink innocent oval to a face lean, contracted,
hostile. But of all this what could the most observant of friends have
said except what a gardener says when he opens the conservatory door
in the morning and finds a new blossom on his plant:--It has flowered;
flowered from vanity, ambition, idealism, passion, loneliness, courage,
laziness, the usual seeds, which all muddled up (in a room off the
Euston Road), made him shy, and stammering, made him anxious to improve
himself, made him fall in love with Miss Isabel Pole, lecturing in the
Waterloo Road upon Shakespeare.

Was he not like Keats? she asked; and reflected how she might give him
a taste of _Antony and Cleopatra_ and the rest; lent him books; wrote
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Why Type a Masterpiece?

Typing out classical literature is not just an exercise in patience; it's a deeply immersive way to understand the rhythm, structure, and nuances of great writing. By manually reproducing the works of renowned authors, you engage with the text on a level that reading alone cannot offer. This method allows you to feel the flow of sentences, the choice of words, and the intricate construction of paragraphs that make these works timeless.

Style is a very simple matter; it is all rhythm. Once you get that, you can't use the wrong words.

– Virginia Woolf

literati is a unique platform where writers can select from a vast collection of public domain classics to type out. This practice is akin to a musician playing pieces by the masters to internalize the elements of composition and performance. Just as the musician learns the subtleties of each note and chord, the writer learns the power of each word and sentence.

Prose is like hair; it shines with combing.

– Gustave Flaubert

Engaging directly with masterpieces allows writers to absorb the rhythm of the text, the ebb and flow of its pacing, and the beauty of its imagery. It cultivates an appreciation for the craft of writing and provides invaluable lessons in how to construct compelling narratives, develop characters, and evoke emotions in readers. Happy typing!

The only truth is music.

– Jack Kerouac

More on this topic:

"Imitate then innovate", an article by David Perell