Alan Jacobs


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When I’m at the computer I feel as if I’m plugged straight into the story, instead of having to telegraph it in from somewhere else. I don’t write well using longhand any more, because it makes my hands work too hard (I have Dupuytren’s Contracture, and I’m much happier typing nowadays). I write in Word, using the Perpetua font. When I edit, I always do it on screen (although at that point I change the font to Times Roman – changing fonts helps me spot things I’ve missed). For some reason I’m very sensitive to fonts. I like Perpetua because it’s clear, not too angular and looks friendly without being annoyingly jokey or cool. Also it doesn’t have a colour or a smell. (To me, some fonts have smells or colours, which can be distracting).