Save Time When You Write

I'm in the process of moving from one computer to another, and one of the things I really miss so far is a good keystroke macro program.

That's a program, a communication technology, that allows you to trigger long strings of text, including names and email addresses, with just a couple of keystrokes.

For example, I often have to write out the name of my book, A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results. With a macro, I simply type "mgx" (without the quotation marks) to write out the first half of the title (up to the colon), or "mgc" to write out the full title.

If you've used them yourself, you know how handy it is to be able to have shortcuts to commonly-used pieces of text (also called boilerplate).

Almost every kind of writing uses commonly-repeated words and names, and once you get used to using macros, they save a lot of time that would otherwise be spent hammering on the keyboard.

They're especially useful for snippets of text that involve hard- to-reach characters on the keyboard. For example, when you type an email address, you have to reach to the upper left corner of the screen to hit the "@" key. So, I have macros for commonly used email addresses: "abcx" for "abbottr@managersguide.com" and "ralx" for "robert@abbottletter.com"

As the latter macro suggests, it helps to have a shortcut that resembles the text that will be written out. You can also use keyboard function keys or combinations of keystrokes as your shortcuts, whatever works best for you.

It's also helpful, if you don't already have shortcuts or macros, to start with a few and add them slowly. That way you don't have to think about them; each becomes well established in your memory. In my experience, if you have to stop and look for the shortcut, you've probably lost much of the advantage that's gained by using them.

In the same vein, consider boilerplate email messages. I use the Eudora email program, which calls them 'stationery' and makes their use relatively easy. In this case, you're not just shortcutting a word or phrase -- you're shortcutting an entire email message. Some other email programs allow you to do the same sort of thing.

To create a piece of stationery, simply open a new email message form and put in your return address, the subject line, and the text of the message. Then save it as a stationery file in an appropriate folder. When you need to send that message again, simply get a copy from the folder, insert the address of the person you want to contact, and click the Send button.

You could, of course, do essentially the same thing with a macro program, but it's faster and easier if your email program lets you create these boilerplate messages.

I use stationery messages for routine thank-yous, for follow-ups on various projects, and for responding to certain types of inquiries. You wouldn't use them for important messages or messages requiring a personalized response.

However you do it, the important thing is to use boilerplate tools when you can. They're one of the easiest and most effective tools for time-efficient writing.

About The Author

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Each week subscribers receive, at no charge, a new communication tip that helps them lead or manage more effectively. Click here for more information: http://www.CommunicationNewsletter.com

abbottr@maagersguide.abbottr@managersguide.com

'Becoming Americans': Immigrant writing San Francisco Chronicle ... short stories, novel excerpts, poems, letters and bits of memoir that this anthology of "Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing" collects. ...

Local man wins prize in writing competition Iowa City Press Citizen A local man has won a runner-up prize in an international competition for writing. Zach Falcon, 37, of Iowa City, earned the recognition for his story "The ... and more »

Writings left behind by Vonnegut Philadelphia Inquirer As for writing left behind at his death, here we have Look at the Birdie, a collection of previously unpublished works that Vonnegut wrote in the 1950s or ...

Idaho writing Race to the Top application KIVI-TV AP - November 22, 2009 9:04 AM ET BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho hopes to win $75 million or more in competitive federal grants for public schools, ... and more »

Showbiz Spy

Steven Tyler Writing a Book Showbiz Spy STEVEN Tyler says he's taking time off from Aerosmith to write a book while his injured shoulder heals. The frontman sustained the injury after falling off ... and more »

Teacher 'suspended over 9/11 creative writing task' Telegraph.co.uk ... Oxclose Village Primary School in Washington, Tyne and Wear, after their children reportedly came home in tears following the creative writing lesson. ... and more »

West Ottawa implements curriculum that focuses on writing skills HollandSentinel.com Lucy Calkins writing curriculum — already in use by Holland Public Schools — is one of the latest trends in writing education, as teachers instruct students ...

PerezHilton.com (blog)

Steven Tyler Is Just Writing A Book! No Drugs (Allegedly) PerezHilton.com (blog) A spokesman for Steven Tyler has said that the Aerosmith frontman is just taking a quick break due to a shoulder injury and he is working on his ... and more »

Prof finalist for fiction writing Sioux City Journal Tricia Currans-Sheehan's "The River Road: A Novel in Stories" was named a finalist in fiction and received Honorable Mention in the Nashville Book Festival ... and more »

Baltimore Sun

An appreciation for Sister Maura Baltimore Sun Here's an excerpt: Sister Maura considered writing to be work, and if nothing else, I was going to learn the value of that work during my numerous courses ... and more »