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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
enquiry. Every one looked at the motor car. Septimus looked. Boys on
bicycles sprang off. Traffic accumulated. And there the motor car
stood, with drawn blinds, and upon them a curious pattern like a tree,
Septimus thought, and this gradual drawing together of everything to
one centre before his eyes, as if some horror had come almost to the
surface and was about to burst into flames, terrified him. The world
wavered and quivered and threatened to burst into flames. It is I who
am blocking the way, he thought. Was he not being looked at and pointed
at; was he not weighted there, rooted to the pavement, for a purpose?
But for what purpose?

“Let us go on, Septimus,” said his wife, a little woman, with large
eyes in a sallow pointed face; an Italian girl.

But Lucrezia herself could not help looking at the motor car and the
tree pattern on the blinds. Was it the Queen in there--the Queen going
shopping?

The chauffeur, who had been opening something, turning something,
shutting something, got on to the box.

“Come on,” said Lucrezia.

But her husband, for they had been married four, five years now,
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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