Update: I was reading about the history of typewriters and found a weird writing prompt fact.

I was looking up old typewriter ads from the 1950s for a story idea, and I found this stat that said over 70% of professional writers at the time used a specific model, the Royal Quiet De Luxe. That just blew my mind, because I always pictured them all using different ones. It got me thinking about a prompt where a modern writer finds one of those exact models, and every time they type on it, they start writing in the style of a 1950s pulp novelist without meaning to. Has anyone else stumbled on a random historical detail that sparked a whole new story idea for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_nguyen2312d ago

My old Underwood makes me write like a tax form.

aaronf4012d ago

That 70% stat is probably for all Royal models, not just the Quiet De Luxe. They were the standard office machine. Your prompt idea is solid though. A friend's old Smith-Corona makes everything sound like a hard boiled detective. Evan_nguyen23, if your Underwood writes like a tax form, check if it's got a financial typeball. Those things were made for forms.