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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
not like that man.

Shredding and slicing, dividing and subdividing, the clocks of
Harley Street nibbled at the June day, counselled submission, upheld
authority, and pointed out in chorus the supreme advantages of a sense
of proportion, until the mound of time was so far diminished that a
commercial clock, suspended above a shop in Oxford Street, announced,
genially and fraternally, as if it were a pleasure to Messrs. Rigby and
Lowndes to give the information gratis, that it was half-past one.

Looking up, it appeared that each letter of their names stood for
one of the hours; subconsciously one was grateful to Rigby and
Lowndes for giving one time ratified by Greenwich; and this gratitude
(so Hugh Whitbread ruminated, dallying there in front of the shop
window), naturally took the form later of buying off Rigby and Lowndes
socks or shoes. So he ruminated. It was his habit. He did not go
deeply. He brushed surfaces; the dead languages, the living, life in
Constantinople, Paris, Rome; riding, shooting, tennis, it had been
once. The malicious asserted that he now kept guard at Buckingham
Palace, dressed in silk stockings and knee-breeches, over what nobody
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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