The speed of your keys - Talktation: The new art of speed writing - Apply

Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

The speed of your keys
Talktation: The new art of speed writing
Apply

And no doubt about it, Talktation improves with your typing speed, and with practice.

So I want to make a little case for learning how to type. If you don’t know how to type, trust me, it’s the best thing a writer can learn how to do.

Dictation just isn’t the same. With dictation, you’re detached from your writing. Someone else is transcribing your words (even if that someone is you). But writing is different to speaking. Your words do need to be presented differently. By learning to type (and type fast), you actually plug into your writing in a much more direct way.

My own typing speed is upwards of eighty words a minute. I don’t say that to impress you (some readers will undoubtedly be unimpressed), but to point something out to you.

The faster you can type, the closer you get to your thoughts. The faster you can type, the easier you make it on yourself.

In fact, I’ve noticed that when I really whip myself up into a writing frenzy — when I start a chapter the way I started this one, all pumped up and ready to power through it — my typing speed increases.

I’ve been able to hit up to a hundred words a minute when I write in that “zone.” And you can do it, too. All it takes is practice. And you can practice while you write!

The point of Talktation is to get your fingers and your brain in sync, so you can keep your mind focused on your goal — and avoid shooting out in a million different directions.

The point is to speed write. Effectively.

Start slow. Practice. And then increase the speed.

When you’re excited about your topic, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your fingers fly alongside your thoughts.