A simple tip to improve your shorthand speed

When you're writing in shorthand you need to be able to jot down the outlines quickly but also neat enough to read back and transcribe with ease.

You'll know how important this is if you ever attend a court hearing or public meeting and try to cover the proceedings in shorthand.

If you read my post Struggling to transcribe your shorthand? you'll get some useful tips on how to read back and transcribe your shorthand.

But if you're having difficulty writing down the outlines at speed then it might be worth trying out this idea.

Draw a line down the centre of the pages in your A5 reporter's note pad to divide them into two columns.

Starting in one column (usually the left if you write left to right) write your shorthand and try to keep your pen or pencil as near to the page as possible.

Aim to keep it at the same level as you gently glide your writing tool left to right, filling up each column separately with your shorthand. The idea behind this is that your hand doesn't move off the page.

And success in this method lies in the wrist work!

Many journalists write shorthand in this way because when you don't have to lift your wrist off the page you're saving precious seconds which are really important when writing shorthand outlines at speed.

It might take a few goes to perfect this technique but it's one that is worth practising if you want to improve your shorthand speed.

You should also practise keeping your outlines small rather than big and scrawly and try not to leave a big a gap between each outline, as this again will save you valuable seconds.

As I've written before practise is key when it comes to perfecting your shorthand outlines and the speed at which you're able to write them down.

But just aim to do about ten to 20 minutes practise at any one time as short bursts are far better for learning how to write shorthand and at speed rather than labouring on for hours and hours.

And with perseverance and practise you will be writing neat outlines at speed in no time at all. So whatever you do, don't give up!