Writers should type slower and read slower

I have discovered why I was making numerous-and I mean numerous- typos when I wrote and it has to do with my brain-and possibly your brain as well. My problem is that my mind works too fast, or should say worked too fast, because I have slowed things down.

What I mean is that when I typed my brain saw an entire phrase or entire sentence and my fingers could not keep pace with the speed that my brain was pouring out words like a monsoon in June. Now when I type I see one word at a time-though there is a long line of subjects, verbs, nouns, and assorted other cousins behind the first word, they do not get lost, nor do they leave to return when the line is shorter. At first the slow pace was frustrating, but with practice the pace picked up and I see the keyboard better and the letters I must stroke come quickly, but not at the break neck speed that created typos so ridiculous that some were not translatable.That is scary believe me. I can’t write long hand because my handwriting looks like something carved on a stone in ancient Egypt in need of a cryptologist.

Reading slower is also good for another reason. I do read, or try to read, fast when reading a book, just not my own. (For some reason I can read a book on Kindle faster than a hard copy, real book.) As a writer when you proofread you must read slow; I repeat you must read slow. Chances are the entire paragraph is set in your mind, perhaps the entire chapter if not the entire book are embedded in your mind and when you read the page your mind sees what is set in your mind, not what is on the page. Your brain must read slow, letter by letter, comma by comma. It is too easy to miss if you read fast.

Thanks for reading. I hope you did not read the blog to fast.