Practice Long Takes

[Deb]

President Wilson’s War Message, Delivered to a Join Session of the Two Houses of Congress, April 2, 1917 has 3683 words in it.

Taken from the Gregg Speed Studies, 1917.

books.google.com/books?id=5A09AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22gregg%20shorthand%22&lr&as_brr=1&pg=PA173#v=onepage&q&f=false

If you wish to practice another Wilson's thoughts before this one, so you can learn his wording, here is one from the same book:

Independence Day Address, only 482 total words in this article

books.google.com/books?id=5A09AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22gregg%20shorthand%22&lr&as_brr=1&pg=PA153#v=onepage&q=wilson&f=false

[Deb]

The reason to practice long takes is because it helps build your endurance in taking shorthand. Once you have practiced long takes of dictation, shorter and quicker takes will be easier.

[Deb]

If you need to build up to it here's something I learned.

Start with taking 1 minutes takes of the first few minutes.
Move up to 3 minute take in whole.
Then take a 5 minute take in whole.

If you want to take it longer, you can continue in that way with the next section of dictation. Then try to take the entire section.

If you find that you tire easily, you may have to decrease your speed for long takes until you get use to it.

By now, you should know all the tips, such as:
*smooth flowing pen
*smooth paper
*knowing the theory very well
*holding the pen loosely
*etc.
Once you have mastered all of those "tips" you will be able to take long dictation.

[Deb]

from Cutting the cost of stenographic service
by Remington Typewriter Company (1893-1927)
Publication date 1914

Topics Shorthand

[Deb]

Why?
--long speeches (usually by political people)
--those long meetings you have to attend and need to start alert enough to take down notes
--that professor who finally found something exciting to talk about that you want to write down
--the "never-ending" podcast
--need all the details of how to do the job to get paid

Keep taking notes in shorthand until you feel confident about taking longer takes. When you do take longer takes, you may find that some of the last part will be missing from your notes, but that's okay.

This is also where memory comes into play. Practice carrying words ( greggshorthand.proboards.com/thread/260/carrying-words ).