Write Thin to Write Fast (2021)
The article discusses the impact of column width on writing speed and quality. The author argues that using thinner columns can significantly enhance both the speed of writing and the quality of the content produced. This observation is supported by historical practices in publishing, particularly by the New York Times.
- ▪The author has found that setting a thin column width in their writing editor has doubled their writing speed and quality.
- ▪Thinner columns help improve reading speed, which in turn enhances writing speed.
- ▪The New York Times has historically used thin columns, suggesting that they are more effective for readability.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Writing this post with narrow columns in "Distraction Free Mode" on Sublime Text on my desktop in Honolulu. October 15, 2021 — I constantly seek ways to improve my writing. I want my writing to be meaningful, clear, memorable, and short. And I want to write faster. This takes practice and there aren't a lot of shortcuts. But I did find one shortcut this year: Set a thin column width in your editor Mine is 36 characters (your ideal width may be different). Beyond that my editor wraps lines. This simple mechanic has perhaps doubled my writing speed and quality. * At my current font-size, my laptop screen could easily support 180 characters across. But if my words spread across the full screen, I write slower and produce worse content.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Github.
