Skip to main content

Speed reading

Captain’s Log, Stardate 05.04.2007

I totally want to learn to speed read. My friend Georgiana found a website and posted a few tips on her blog:

Speed Reading 101

If I could speed read, I could read so many more books than I do now! I think my biggest problem is sub-vocalizing my words. I don’t think I’ve EVER not done it. I don’t know if I’d be able to not do it. If that makes any sense whatsoever.

Anybody have tips?
Labels:

Comments

Ronie Kendig said…
Oh, man! I wanna learn, too. There is this one book "The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program" that I'm trying to get through. It's helped me move a bit faster and improve my comprehension a tad, but I'm still nowhere near a speed reader.
Fri May 04, 05:36:00 AM 2007
PatriciaW said…
I remember the Evelyn Wood program from TV commercials back in the '70s. Me, I already read pretty fast but now if I could inhale books, I could really make a dent in the TBR list!
Fri May 04, 09:07:00 AM 2007
Winter Peck said…
I'm with ya. If I could read faster than I already do, my TBR would go down a lot faster too. That and I could get in equal amounts of reading and writing time.

Course, I cheat sometimes. I'll read large chunks of the book, skip even larger chunks and get the main gist of the book wihtout reading it all.
Fri May 04, 11:12:00 AM 2007
Missy Tippens said…
I had some sort of speed reading class in high school, but I just didn't get it at all! I think reading all the time later after high school is what helped me speed up. Just pain ole practice.

Also, Camy, I'm tagging you for blog tag! I hope you'll come to my blog to see the details. Come out to play. :)

Missy
Fri May 04, 07:43:00 PM 2007
Rich said…
I took the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Course many years ago--I think when Evelyn was still a young girl!!

The whole trick was using hand motions to "draw" your eyes down the page. Moving your hand fast forced your eyes to move faster than they would on their own, not giving you time to sub-vocalize. It tooks quite a bit of practice, but comprehension actually increases--a lot.

They taught us techniques for different types of material, but that is the basic concept. It really works. I still use it sometimes when I need to hurry through something (though of course not when I'm critiquing one of my writing buddies!
Fri May 04, 09:17:00 PM 2007
AnnaLiza said…
since i don't have good comprehension skills, i try to practice speed reading in a quiet place. key word= try. hehehe. thanks for the link. i love a good book!
Fri May 04, 10:12:00 PM 2007
Georgiana Daniels said…
At least you had a good score on the quiz! LOL, I'm picking up some speed, but still falling way behind the rest of you! Maybe I can hit 300 WPM sometime next year--it's a wonder I get anything read at all!
Mon May 07, 10:12:00 AM 2007
Katie Hart - Pinterest Manager said…
I've always read fast (I guess one reason is that I don't subvocalize - I didn't even know what that was!), so it was neat to get an opportunity to test myself. I came out at 575 (despite distracting TV show playing in the background), with 100% comprehension. The computer screen made it hard. I'm guessing I'm closer to 700 or 800, especially with fiction.

Some suggestions - try to allow the words to create a picture in your mind without focusing on each word. Also, practice on thrillers. :)
Mon May 07, 03:41:00 PM 2007
Anonymous said…
So far as sub-vocalising goes in relation to speed reading. I had always believed, perhaps mistakenly so, that there is NO comprehension without sub -vocalisation
Sat May 12, 08:39:00 AM 2007
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...
64 comments
Read more

Lavender hand lotion

Captain's Log, Stardate 11.05.2009 I have to tell you, I LOVE Etsy.com ! Etsy is dedicated to providing a marketplace for people who like to make handmade products and people who appreciate them (and buy them). It has everything from handmade gifts (like my mom’s Bucilla Christmas stockings and ornaments and tree skirts and wall hangings and … well, just click here to see what she has! ) to soaps and lotions and jewelry and knitted items and hand-painted yarn and ... I could surf that website for DAYS. Anyway, lately I’ve been concerned about the lead content in my lotions, especially since I’m using them more now that it’s turned colder and drier here in California. I have to use lotion on my hands everytime after I wash them. So I went onto Etsy and searched for organic hand lotions, and bought this lavender lotion from Lue Cosmetics . What was really nice is that the owner, Jane, sent me a direct message via Etsy right after I made the purchase to ask if I’d received it yet and ...
2 comments
Read more

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th...
18 comments
Read more

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...
39 comments
Read more

I got my cover!

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Eyes of Elisha by Brandilyn Collins Tangerine by Marilynn Griffith I GOT MY COVER!!!! What do you guys think?
34 comments
Read more