HOW to practice

[Erica Abbott]

okay. We've discussed what to practice, whether it be realtime coach or speed building tapes, but now I want to know HOW to practice. Do you get the speedbuilding tapes and start them at a high speed you know you can't obtain and then just listen to them over and over till you get there? Do you start below your speed and try to work up past it? Do you try to start at a very high speed, then figure out all the words you don't know, and then listen to it again and again until you get it right?

I am desperate to gain more speed (because we all know those attorneys do not go the 225 we achieve in school) but I am just having a lot of trouble figuring out how.

Thanks in advance

[Melissa Macrelli-Powell]

They always told us to practice a little higher than the speed we are at! Don't go too far ahead because then you start making mistakes with your fingers that you may not be able to correct! I hear ya about the 225 but from my experience, I have lawyers that speak faster and often some who speak slower. It is up to you to control the situation. If he is too fast, you need to tell him.....if he is too slow, enjoy it!! You actually get to see how clean you can write when they go slow. Also, my teacher always said practice speed but she also said never forget your basic finger drills!!!

[Sue @ The Brief Zone]

Hi Erica, this is something I was told over 12 yrs ago when I was a student....slow down and work on your accuracy, and speed will come naturally. Many of us don't want to slow down ! We want to speed up :-) But the truth of the matter is, the more you practice not hesitating on individual words, the faster you will begin to write, therefore creating the speed we need! So try breaking down a particular dictation sentence by sentence and writing it slowly & accurately repeatedly without any hesitation. Then first practice that same dictation at 10 wpm over your goal speed, then at your goal speed and finally 10 wpm under your current goal speed and read that one back :-) Hope this helps, Sue @ www.thebriefzone.com

[Erica Abbott]

I thank you all for your help! Because I went to an online school, the dictations don't go above 230wpm, and I can go through those dictations once and have 100%. I want to be up in the 260s, etc. I think I am going to try to get some cds and practice that way; with a speed 20wpm over what I am at, and then figure out any words I don't know, and then do it again once I've learned them. That is what worked for me in school too. I am just amazed that one person's 230wpm dictation may be much faster or much slower than anothers 230wpm dictation. It seems so silly that they could vary! I will keep you all updated as my speed climbs and how I am doing it! THANKS!

[Tami]

Hi, Erica.

Sounds like you'd be a great candidate to sign up with Mark Kislingbury (Magnumsteno.com) for a month and see how you like it. For $30, at your speed I just don't see how you can go wrong. I think you also get access to his speedbuilding philosophy, which is really hard to argue with when you're the world record holder for speed writing.

I personally don't believe in shattered notes, especially if you've always written cleanly at your control speed. I also believe at your speed level 20 words over is okay, but I think you might see great results with higher speeds. If you're working towards your RPR, for example, throw in a RMR tape and try to get your hands down stroke for stroke. Don't look at your notes. I usually don't even care if I'm hitting the right side of the keyboard. I usually do that until my brain is about shot, and that's when I drop it down to the goal tape (RPR, etc.), and I've found for me what used to be impossible is now very well within my grasp.

Somebody posted Melanie Humphrey-Sonntag's (two n's or two g's??) video on here about how she prepared for the speed contests for the last few years. Of course she's been an amazing writer for a very long time AND probably one of the sweetest persons I've ever met, but she does attribute practicing the "Mickey Mouse" speeds as raising her speed even higher.

I did the same thing this past summer before the speed contest, and I really think that's what helped me finally pass the 280.

I'm not a huge fan of going down a list of a thousand words and learning briefs. I do love briefs, and I'm sure I know the most common thousand, but I personally think incorporating new writing principles/theories into your own gives you the most bang for your buck, such as those word endings that are taking an additional stroke to complete, etc. I hate to harp on the inflected endings because everyone knows that's what I'm going to say next, but getting them in with the inital stroke will save you thousands and thousands of strokes. Millions and millions over your lifetime. Tucking suffixes, etc. Combining prefix strokes with root words. I also am a HUGE fan of phrasing.

I also never did a finger drill -- ever. I know I've heard MK say the same thing. My son never did a finger drill either. I know they have done wonders with a lot of students, but there are a lot of us who never went there.

As far as Sue saying speed will come later, well, how much later???

I think the average student in California goes to school for four years and eight months. I think that's the last stat I saw on the subject.

You do need to be accurate -- I don't argue with that -- but I learned to write accurately in theory and have been always able to drop down to my control speed and write perfect notes.

I love your inquiry, Erica, and wish you the best!

Happy Writing Short!!

[Erica Abbott]

Not sure if anyone will read this, but I just wanted to post something that goes along with it. I just got my CD today from buysteno.com and was extremely excited to test it out. I started in the 240s and 260s, but they were SO fast. Is that normal for someone who has been working almost two years or is that bad???? I passed my 225s at school with flying colors (98% and above). I am really trying to build on speed, b/c my accuracy is actually pretty good, but I just feel like I'm not even grasping some of these. Then I read about people who just got out of school doing 280. How is that possible!?! Any advice would be great, even if it's honest truth.

[Tami]

Who's getting out of school doing 280??

Took me 27 years. :)

Yes, it should sound fast. If it sounded slow, how would you build speed???

[Erica Abbott]

hahaha. thank you for that. I needed the small "slap". Sometimes I get ahead of myself:)

[Patricia Babits]

I am doing Mark Kislingbury's Magnum Steno club. It is sooooooo fast. You are supposed to get a stroke for each work, and I'm not even able to do that!

[Patricia Babits]

Are you gonna stick with it? I'm going to try for the month. I'm not sure if it is helping me. I'm learning from the briefs.

[Tami]

If you have the time to give it, I can guarantee it will help.

I am not joining right now because I don't have the time, and my hands really can't take the extra abuse, but when it comes time to prepard for the test next summer, you know I'm going to be signing up a couple months in advance. Can't wait!!

AND . . . learning those new briefs and phrases will add years onto your worklife, too. Can't forget about that.