Learn to Write by Copying

November 14, 2025 · By Josh

One of my daily practices that has helped me improve my writing is copywork . Copywork is the simple act of retyping another writer’s words to absorb their rhythm and technique.

Hunter S. Thompson famously retyped The Great Gatsby and A Farewell to Arms so he could, in his words, “know what it feels like to write a great novel.”

When I first read that, I was intrigued. Typing someone else’s sentences felt strange at first, but something happened. I began to notice the mechanics of the prose: the rhythm, the punctuation, and the exact moment an image lands.

Slowing Down to See More

When you copy a passage word for word, you start noticing details you miss while reading.

I’m a slow reader, about 200 words per minute, but an even slower typist at about 60. That slowness turns out to be a gift. It forces me to linger on the sentences and study how they’re built.

When we read, our minds move fast and chase the story. Copywork slows everything down. It’s like watching a film frame by frame. You finally see what makes the scene work.

Searching for the Right Tool

At first, I tried copying from a book on one monitor while typing on another. It worked, but my neck didn’t thank me for it. So I searched for digital tools made for copywork.

I found a few, but most were expensive subscription web apps. None were built specifically for writers like me.

So I built my own.

Introducing CopySlate

This morning, I launched the app I’ve been using for my own copywork sessions. It’s called CopySlate.

CopySlate is a Windows desktop app designed for focused writing practice. It works directly with EPUB files, either ones you already own or titles from Project Gutenberg , which is built right into the app.

Click the Project Gutenberg tab, search the library, and add the book you want to copy. The program automatically splits it into chapters and tracks your progress.

When you type the correct letter, it turns green. Incorrect letters turn red and count as errors. CopySlate tracks your accuracy, words per minute, and total characters in real time.

Your stats are saved as you work, so you can see your improvement over time.

Why Copywork Works

Copywork teaches you to hear a writer’s cadence, sense their structure, and feel the flow of their sentences through your fingers.

Writers such as Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, Benjamin Franklin, and Hunter S. Thompson all practiced some form of copywork to refine their style. It is not imitation. It is apprenticeship through attention.

Try It for Yourself

CopySlate is available now for Windows 10 and 11 .

Start emulating the greats. They did it, and you can too.

If you would like to become an affiliate for CopySlate, click here to sign up and earn 20 percent commission on every copy sold.