Writing with Closed Eyes

I close my eyes and begin to type. In my mind, a mixed media of verbal and image information is passing through. Sometimes I am hearing the words that I am putting to the paper, other times I am seeing a page of writing which I am transcribing. The goal is two-fold: on the one hand, I am aiming for speed of production. On the other hand, I am harvesting focus. In this state I am approaching the upper limits of my triple-digit typing speed, and this while composing something original. The funny thing is, my typos aren’t as bad as you might expect, either. I find I make more mistakes when I am watching the output of my writing appear on the screen.

This is the latest step in the evolution of my effort to write quickly and productively, and takes place in opposition to the long-standing fact that I could type faster than I could think. I am currently in a writing craze that centers on my need to complete a thesis. The approach I am using is to me a natural evolution from the emphasis on the separation of presentation and content that is sometimes discussed as a buzzword in editing circles and is the justification for the LaTeX document system. For me, it means greater productivity.

The approach is somewhat different in basis than group paradigms like the Agile programming method, where the development of a program is a discursive back-and-forth between designers and developers. Instead, the goal for me is to allow my mind maximum productivity and fluidity as it produces raw ideas, which will later be refined and polished. And so far, the results are promising. It is good to write with my eyes closed, and to compose before I write.