So why a typewriter? The typewriter is a symbol for getting back to basics. To question the foundation we stand on as medical writers. While I am a big fan of technology, over time we begin to rely on it so much we forget how to live without it. We lose the skills that are no longer necessary. In years past, a simple spelling mistake meant retyping the entire page. Nowadays the ability to spell is fairly low on the hierarchy of writing well. In the same way, we take many basic principles in medical writing for granted. We may overlook them, underestimate them, or perhaps not even be aware of their existence.