Woody Allen and His Love for the Typewriter
Say what you want about his politics or sexual proclivities… his obsessive dedication to the craft of screenwriting is something to be admired.
And few knew that Allen wrote every one of his scripts to date on a vintage typewriter… the same one, actually.
Here we’ll delve into whatever keys we can glean from his process…
A Lifelong Love Affair with the Typewriter
While most modern writers rely on laptops and word processors, Woody Allen’s preferred writing instrument is a German-built Olympia SM-3 manual typewriter, a model that he’s used for over six decades.
This isn’t just nostalgia or a refusal to adapt to changing technology; for Allen, the typewriter is more than just a tool. It represents a creative sanctuary, a portal through which he channels his ideas in the rawest form.
The Olympia SM-3 typewriter, a popular model during the mid-20th century, is lauded for its precision, durability, and smooth operation—qualities that likely attracted Allen.
Despite the changing world of technology, Allen's attachment to his typewriter demonstrates the deep emotional and practical connection writers can form with their tools. For him, it's more than just an instrument for writing—it's a trusted companion, aiding him through countless scripts, jokes, short stories, and essays.
Woody Allen’s Writing Process: A Blend of Tradition and Discipline
Woody Allen’s creative routine is deeply entrenched in tradition and personal discipline. While some writers claim to need inspiration or a burst of creativity, Allen treats writing as a daily practice. He has often said that he writes "in spurts," but that consistency and commitment are key to his success.
1. Writing by Hand First
Like many great writers, including David Foster Wallace, Robert Caro, and others, Allen wrote the first draft by hand on the ubiquitous yellow legal pad. Gino Wickman praises the yellow legal pad, as does Zettelkasten guru Scott Scheper.
The throwaway nature makes for free writing. (Rather than using something cherished like a moleskine). And hey, we have to go by what works, not by what is ideal in our minds.
This handwritten phase allows Allen to think more slowly and deliberately about his writing, ensuring that each line of dialogue or description is carefully crafted.
Remember, one of the Screenless Precepts is ‘Slow Down.’
2. Use a typewriter
After completing a handwritten draft, Allen transcribes the text onto his Olympia SM-3 typewriter. This slow transmission makes for great writing, and allows the writer to take key insights that he might otherwise have missed.
In a 2015 interview with NPR, Allen revealed that his typewriter has been repaired numerous times over the years … I can virtually guarantee that they were moderate repairs that mostly meant ‘cleaning’ or ‘lubricating’. Perhaps tightening a loose screw. Because a machine like this in constant use rarely dies, it just gets jostled loose over time. Perhaps he dropped the poor beast.
3. Revisions: A Unique Approach
Let’s choose meaning and effectiveness over comfort and efficiency, shall we?
Allen reads and notes changes with a pen. Nothing too radical there.
Screenwriting is denser, and needs a careful honing for every level of mastery. Most of it involves cutting 6 lines into one, and one into zero.
The typewriter and the idea of physical drafts forces whole rewrites. Far from being a waste of time, this process strengthens most writing.
For many, Allen's process may seem antiquated, even inefficient, but it's a key part of his ability to produce high-quality content consistently.
By limiting distractions and focusing on each word, Allen keeps his mind rooted firmly in the world of his story, allowing him to craft intricate, dialogue-driven scenes.
He also uses the oft-maliged scotch tape to move scenes. For this reason, I often suggest keeping a Screenless manuscript ‘modular’, so you can shuffle pages around without much ado. (I also malign tape).
Woody Allen’s Discipline: The Foundation of Creativity
Allen takes the old, tried and true tact of ‘the craftman.’ Rather than seeing his literary creations as some exultant foray into bizarre realms, he just sits and does the work. Like Thomas Mann.
While Allen admits to procrastinating (he’s human), the typewriter cuts out a lot of that. How often can you do the things that humans do, without the digital mega corps pulling you in a thousand directions. I mean, you can find ways, but it is harder on a typewriter. You need to dust off the keys. Sigh. Ok, I’ll write.
1. The Routine: Woody Allen's Daily Writing Ritual
Allen doesn’t keep rigid office hours or follow a strict daily schedule, but he does have a consistent approach to writing. His workday often begins in the early afternoon, after he's spent the morning enjoying a leisurely breakfast or practicing his clarinet—another one of his passions. He then sits at his typewriter, typically at his home office, a quiet space devoid of distractions.
Allen once remarked that the key to his prolific output is staying at home. By avoiding the temptation to socialize, travel, or engage in other activities, he forces himself to sit down and work. This self-imposed isolation is central to his creative process.
2. Writing in Fragments
Allen often jots down ideas for multiple projects simultaneously. His filing cabinets are filled with notes and partial scripts—some dating back decades—waiting for the right moment to be completed.
This reminds me of the way Seinfeld keeps a whole filing cabinet full of joke fragments.
It’s what I try to do in my NEXUS (a sort of screenless computer). The mind thinks like this. The question is… how to weave these fragments together?
With an index, of course!
These fragments can sit untouched for years, but when inspiration strikes, they are there. For example, his 2015 film Irrational Man was based on an idea he'd jotted down in the 1980s. It had to marinate in the dark for decades, like a stubborn seed.
Typewriters vs. Screens.
1. Focus and Simplicity
Allen has said again and again that focus and a distraction-free tool is what he gets out of the typewriter.
The mechanical nature of the typewriter also slows the writing process down, which may seem counterintuitive, but for most writers, it allows for, even births (the sounds!) greater concentration. \
Every sentence typed is a commitment, as editing isn’t as easy as backspacing or cutting and pasting. This forces Allen to be intentional with his words; to stay on path.
He doesn’t prefer the stream of consciousness tact that many writers use, on a typewriter or a computer.
On a typewriter, words are measured. They take effort. They’re less likely to be thrown around.
2. It fits like a glove.
Allen compares his sort of utilitarian ‘brown’ SM3 to a musical instrument. It just fits him well. Even with the cover missing.
The manual typewriter is a minimalist's dream. There are no frills, no shortcuts—just the sound of keys clacking as they hammer out thoughts and ideas in real-time.
Allen has famously remarked that his typewriter has become like an old friend—trustworthy and reliable. Cormac McCarthy echoed the same sentiments about his Lettera 32.
3. It sits there in real space.
It catches light, takes up space, has a certain weight. It can only write.
The typewriter threads one back to the ritual.
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WE sell the SM3/4 here. They’re glorious machines.
If anyone says ‘why don’t you use a computer for writing’ to you again, mention some of the above.
And have them show you their writing. It is either non-existent or it sucks.
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