A remarkable way to increase writing speed 😍

This is a gamechanger  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Hey, I've always been at the plotter end of the spectrum - and increasingly so, over time. However, my current fiction project is being completely pantsed. Like totally and utterly - it's wild. Not only do I not have an outline, or even a title, my hero doesn't have a name yet, despite being a third of the way through the story. But I'm not questioning what's going on because the words are flowing. I sometimes feel like I have three jobs: writing non-fiction, writing fiction, and then running the business behind all that, creating content like this, and everything that goes with that. I have a tendency to overload my plate too, so sometimes it feels like ten jobs! I don't hate the chaos; I've always worked like this. However, I do like to use my time efficiently. I am not 25 anymore and don't have boundless energy. Despite all the different hats I like wearing, I don't work around the clock either – I enjoy my time off and guard it jealously, especially after burning out a couple of times over the last ten years. So, when a tool or product or service comes along which claims it will increase my productivity and make work more fun as well, my ears perk right up. Regular readers will know that I purchased a nifty little e-ink digital notepad last year called the Remarkable 2. In the year or so since I shared my quick review with you, I've only fallen deeper in love with this device. I'll be doing an indepth video on this soon, especially now that I've had so much time to really get to use my Remarkable 2 in different ways (and also to understand what this device is good at… and what it isn't). I've also had some time now playing with the new Type Folio – which is essentially a fancy keyboard case for the Remarkable 2. And it's a total gamechanger. Stress Testing I mentioned a few weeks ago that I didn't bring my laptop on vacation with me this summer – just the Remarkable 2 and my brand new Type Folio. After contracting the plague, again, and getting stuck at my destination for a week longer than planned, this turned into quite the stress test. Could I keep my business running without access to a computer? The extreme circumstances really highlighted what the Remarkable 2 (and the Type Folio) is good at, and where the limitations are. I've had a lot of questions from you guys about this, as it is quite new and there hasn't been much chatter about it. Warning: I'm going to rave about this, so it's important to note that this is not sponsored content. I have no financial interest here, I'm not an affiliate of Remarkable, and I wasn't given one for review either – I paid for this with my own money. That explicit declaration is needed because I love it so much. Brace yourself, I am going to commence gushing. The Remarkable 2 is probably my most used work tool – even more than my laptop, which seems like a crazy thing to type but it's true. I bring it every with me. I… twitch when forced to leave the house without it. Because it's so light and compact, it's easy to bring anywhere. It's such a joy to use that I want to use it everywhere. And because it's e-ink, you can do just that. You can write on it in direct sunlight because there is no glare from the screen, and you don't have to worry about recharging if you are out all day either. While it's technically a tablet, it's better to think of the Remarkable 2 as a digital notepad – one of several such devices gaining popularity among writers. You can't check your email on it. You can't log into social media. You can't browse the internet. It does have wifi, but only to send and receive documents because this device is all about productivity. It's a work device, no distractions, no interruptions. But that's not to say it can't be fun too – it's actually a joy to use. You can sketch on it – there are a variety of pens and pencils and brushes, and you can zoom in and out easily to do detail work or use different effects. You can handwrite on it (and convert to typed text too – more on that in a moment). And you can type on it using the on-screen keyboard. But the blocking of distractions is key. This is so important when you want to achieve flow – that quasi-magical state when the words are just pouring through you and it feels like you have tapped into another dimension, and you are a mere vessel for the precious words flowing forth. And it really feels like the entire philosophy around the Remarkable 2 is about creating and maintaining that flow - from the textured screen and wearable nib that really make you feel like you are writing on paper, to the minimalist UI and lack of notifications pinging on your screen, the Remarkable 2 just gets out of your way and lets you create. It also has text conversion for your handwriting which works… fine. If I really pay attention to my handwriting, I can write cleanly enough that it will convert correctly 99% of the time. If I am having a beer while the sun goes down and dashing out pages like a madman, then invariably it finds my messy scrawl harder to deduce and can struggle a lot more (pro tip: used the lined pages to keep your handwriting straight, which improves the conversion accuracy). Sometimes if my handwriting is really bad, then the conversion is essentially garbage – so a lot of the time, I had just been propping it up beside my screen and typing the pages up in batches. This isn't a bad way for me to work, as I can do a little light editing as I go, adding in little sections where needed. But that's not terribly efficient. Enter the Type Folio. How I Use The Type Folio The new Type Folio is great here. Because I can hit convert, let the system chew through my handwriting, and then flip out the keyboard in seconds to clean the text up. The transition between using the Remarkable 2 as a notepad in portrait mode, to using it as a quasi-laptop in landscape mode is surprisingly smooth; it's genuinely a nifty piece of engineering and exceedingly well built. (I'm less fond of the plasticky feel on the outside of the case itself – a sensation I can only describe as "Dad's iPad cover.") The keyboard is nice to type on – not at the level of a mechanical keyboard, of course, but pretty nice. You can definitely type all day on it without your hands complaining – I've done this a lot already. And when you are done typing, the keyboard actually slides underneath the tablet so it stays clean and protected, while you switch back to portrait mode and use it as a notepad once more. Aside from all the usual lovely stuff a Remarkable device does to keep you in that flow state, I noticed a few more things worth mentioning. There's no word count. Maybe this isn't an issue for you, but my OCD-ish tendencies lead to constant checking of word count progress when at my computer. There's also no clock in the corner – something else I apparently checked obsessively but only really started noticing when the option was withdrawn. It takes a little getting used to some of the key placements – they are full size keys but it's a compact layout – but once you get over that little bump, you'll be flying. Speaking of, it's such a compact little device, even with the keyboard cover attached, that you can easily set up on the tiniest of airplane tables and write away happily, without contorting yourself into any weird position – I was surprised how pleasant this was on the pokiest airplane seat possible on the way to Dublin. Which means it also has a very small footprint when you are using it out and about - just another nice little quality of life feature they obviously spent time thinking about. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that the Type Folio adds quite a bit of heft to the device overall. The Remarkable 2 on its own weighs 400g, or just shy of a pound for my American cousins. Which is surprisingly light for what it can do. But once you add the keyboard case, it gets a little thicker and quite a bit heavier – you're essentially doubling the weight. It's still coming in a good bit less than a kilo (under two pounds) but it is noticeable in your bag, wher it wasn't before. But the biggest con of the Type Folio is definitely going to be the cost. You are already going to be shelling out a significant amount for the device itself ($299), and another whack for the stylus ($80 for regular, $120 for premium). And then another $100-$200 for the cover, depending on which you select. It really adds up, and while the device itself feels like great value, the (not so optional) extras don't. When I purchased last year, I opted for the Book Folio cover – which was made of a nice, soft gray weave. Unfortunately, that also turned out to be very absorbent so even though I was exceedingly careful it got quite dirty over the course of a year – so I can't really recommend that cover. (There are third-party covers available on Amazon which look like a much better deal – and that can be a way to save money here. I'd suggest doing that over getting a third-party stylus, which won't be nearly as good.) Seeing as I needed a new cover anyway, I decided to take a risk and try the new Type Folio. I wasn't sure if I would regret this purchase or not but the first time I opened it up and saw the thought which had gone into making this, I knew I was going to be a huge fan. The Downsides The total cost of the package – Remarkable 2, plus the marker, plus the keyboard cover – is significant, and will put this device out of the reach of many. (Although I can tell you that I've certainly gotten my money's worth. If the Type Folio had been available last year, and I didn't waste $120 on the sub-par Book Folio, I would have no complaints at all.) Whether it's worth it for you is another matter. I generally use it for handwriting first drafts, converting that to text, and then cleaning it up with some light edits using the keyboard cover – sometimes I do that right away, but more often I batch the editing/typing and do it in one session when I'm not feeling hugely creative. I can also handwrite emails to people which amuses me more than you can imagine. (This device can send documents by email but you can't check your email – in case that's confusing!) But there's one limitation which bugs me. You can send documents to your Remarkable 2 in a few different ways and then mark them up by hand using the stylus. This is actually a really nice way to review your WIP. However, you can't send a document to your Remarkable 2 and then edit that document with the Type Folio – it's essentially locked down as a PDF which you can only write upon by hand. I don't know if this is a technical limitation – it might be, as the handwriting conversion is done in the cloud – or if this will be addressed in a future firmware upgrade. There's also some other, minor stuff – formatting is mostly limited to bold and italics and three different font sizes (essentially standard text, headings, and sub-headings). But, again, I tend to obsessively format stuff as I'm typing which is just one more distraction the Remarkable 2 does away with by the curious magic of removing features. Some people might be bothered by that, so it is worth flagging, but for balance I should also note that firmware upgrades seem to come out every few weeks, with handy new features added all the time. So that's how I feel about my Remarkable 2 and the new Type Folio. I absolutely adore it while also recognizing that it won't be for everyone. It's a premium device with a premium price, and aimed at a specific niche. If you are intrigued by the concepts here but not quite sold on the Remarkable 2 specifically, then perhaps consider something else in this family of devices. There are all sorts of them now – the Kindle Scribe, the Kobo Elipsa, the Boox Tab X, the Supernote – and you might find one which suits you better. Do your research though, they all have their quirks and none of them are cheap. For me though, I've found my perfect little tool. I don't need anything else – not even my computer! Dave P.S. Writing music this week is Kentucky's finest - Jean Ritchie - with One Morning in May. Broomfield Business Park, Malahide, Co. Dublin K36 AT04 ​Unsubscribe | Update your profile​