The Gregg Group was founded 22 May 2004, prompted by the lack of online shorthand resources. As the primary use for shorthand — business and legal recording — has waned in recent decades, we generally acclaim the skill as a hobby or personal tool. The purpose of the group is to promote the use of Gregg systems of shorthand by providing advice to beginners, support for students, and an association of users of this efficient, attractive, and enjoyable method of writing.
This to the more accomplished writers:
If you are writing something — even just personal thoughts — that you know no one else but you will ever read, do you use your shorthand instead of your normal handwriting?
If not, why not?
(by thomsk
for everyone)
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Mostly I write in shorthand. Except book titles, for some reason I find it easier to write book titles, movie titles, names of magazines, in long hand.
Though I'm not one of the "more accomplished writers (yet)", I do. I've gotten into the habit of keeping a daily journal in Anniv GS, and writing up notes at work in the same. And I have no problem rereading what I wrote months earlier — except, on occasion, owing to my own GS handwriting problems (esp. where my proportions are off: Rs can look like Ls; Ks like Gs, etc., if one writes poorly; true of all GS systems by the way). GS carries very little ambiguity that context can't fill in.
I usually do a mix. When I'm flying along through vocabulary lists or grammar summaries for my language studies, I write shorthand to save time. I only really write longhand any more when I'm writing notes for other people, or if I'm writing on a bumpy bus/car ride which would make my shorthand a bit too sloppy for my tastes.
I write almost exclusively in shorthand, notes in meetings, interviews, my DayTimer, even grocery lists, except for something my husband needs to read. I have done this so many years that when I do have to write a social note, such as a Thank You or greeting card, I have to be very careful not to leave out letters or words. Crazy! But shorthand conventions rule my writing life!
Mix here — whatever comes to the brain first.
I write mostly in shorthand, except like you said, when other people need to read what I've written. The opposite applies too — since nobody else in my office reads shorthand, I write that if I don't want anyone casually reading it. I have a little steno that I keep all my notes from meetings and talking with people in it, mostly in shorthand.
Grocery lists for some reason are easier to deal with longhand though.