This is a practice tip that I want to share with the group.
Instead of using a shorthand or a reporter's notebook, try the 4" x 6" Lined Super Sticky Post-It Notes. They come in different colors (I use canary yellow) as either a single pack, or in packs of 3 or more. The reason I'm using these is that I wanted to make annotations in a book, and since I didn't want to damage the book with ink, I resorted to post-it notes. I discovered that the ruling on the post-it pads was Gregg, so lately I've been using them for penmanship practice. I took an old Series 90 book that I had laying around, and started rewriting all the plates in Anniversary. The 4" x 6" size is very convenient, as a 150-word letter in Anniversary fits nicely inside one sheet: if the letter goes beyond one sheet, no biggie, I tear another sheet. Once I'm done with the letter, I "post-it" inside the book, and go to the next letter or passage on a new sheet, so that I can keep track of where I am in the book. The width of the pad is not much wider than a standard shorthand notebook column. The post-its would fit nicely inside a variety of shorthand book sizes. Lastly, I can carry these around much easier than a notebook, with the extra advantage that I don't need a hard surface to write, since I use the book as a surface.
I wouldn't recommend them for dictation practice, but for penmanship practice they are very good. You may also use them for word lists. Give them a try.
(It's fun to see the old Series 90 book with Anniversary plates, 
)
Labels: anythinggoes, notebooks, postit, writing