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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
turned the corner though the light high bell could be heard down the
next street and still farther as it crossed the Tottenham Court Road,
chiming constantly, it is the privilege of loneliness; in privacy one
may do as one chooses. One might weep if no one saw. It had been his
undoing--this susceptibility--in Anglo-Indian society; not weeping
at the right time, or laughing either. I have that in me, he thought
standing by the pillar-box, which could now dissolve in tears. Why,
Heaven knows. Beauty of some sort probably, and the weight of the day,
which beginning with that visit to Clarissa had exhausted him with
its heat, its intensity, and the drip, drip, of one impression after
another down into that cellar where they stood, deep, dark, and no one
would ever know. Partly for that reason, its secrecy, complete and
inviolable, he had found life like an unknown garden, full of turns
and corners, surprising, yes; really it took ones breath away, these
moments; there coming to him by the pillar-box opposite the British
Museum one of them, a moment, in which things came together; this
ambulance; and life and death. It was as if he were sucked up to some
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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