Freewrite is a tool dedicated to writing. It’s sort of like a modern typewriter—it’s got a full-size keyboard, an E Ink Display, WiFi connection, and long-lasting battery.
What’s so special about it? It’s a distraction-free tool. Although it does connect to WiFi, it does so only to back up so that you never lose your work. That way, there’s no chance of getting distracted by app notifications, social media, and random google searches. Never again will you find yourself suddenly reading up on the Great Emu War just because you fell into a wiki hole.
Besides giving you a break from distractors, Freewrite has a mechanical keyboard that’s a blessing for your hands and wrists. The E Ink display, meanwhile, is a much healthier option for your eyes. Blue light emitted by LCD screens can cause eye fatigue, migraines, and even contribute to sleeplessness.
Freewrite’s major drawback is the hefty price. Both Freewrite Smart Typewriter and Freewrite Traveler come at the price of $599.00, although you can snatch them for less on promo (right now Traveler is just $449).
So the question, then, is should you pick up a tool like this for your writing? As Virginia Woolf wrote, writers need a room of one’s own and the Freewrite is kind of like that room. It pulls you away from your computer and forces you to think in a different way, thereby encouraging exploration. We’ve used almost all of the distraction-free tools out there and the Freewrite is one of the best. But before you go out and get one, remember that it doesn’t have limitations.
Since it’s a tool for drafting, there’s no way of going back in your manuscript to make edits. Further, you can only work on three things at once (technically three files). Further, the entire thing is mechanical so it’s clicky. If you’re in a quiet office you’ll definitely get some stares.
Our advice? Give distraction-free writing tools a try, be they hardware or software like Ommwriter. See if they help. The goal of any distraction-free tool is to make it easier for the words to flow onto the page. If you’re having trouble doing that, they’re definitely worth a look.
When you’re done writing and need help with editing, contact us.