The book
A short course for the app
The book teaches Thorn shorthand from the first key to whole sentences. You can read it alongside the app, one short sitting at a time.
Still being written. The chapters below are a draft outline. Nothing is ready to buy or download yet.
How the course works
The course has ten chapters and two appendices. Each chapter is one short sitting, about ten to fifteen minutes. Each follows the same order.
- A goal, so you know what you are aiming for.
- The new idea, with the keys shown.
- Words to try, in grids with the chord beside each word.
- A read-back test and a write test, with answers underneath.
- A pass mark, so you know when to move on.
Speed is not the aim. Write slowly and get each chord right. Speed arrives on its own after the chords stop needing thought.
It is for anyone who can say a word slowly. You do not need to know stenography, and you do not need to be a fast typist.
What is in it
- Before you startWhat Thorn shorthand is, how the page works, and how chords are written in the book.
- The boardWhere the keys are, which finger presses which, and how to press a chord on the screen.
- Your first wordsOne-syllable words from ten single keys and five short vowels.
- One finger, two keysPress both keys of a finger to write n, m, ng and sh.
- Two-finger soundsThe sounds that borrow a neighbouring key: f, v, w, h, y and more.
- Vowel chordsFifteen vowel sounds from four thumb keys.
- Clusters, r, l and thWhere the tricky sounds go, and why.
- Punctuation, numbers and undoCommas, full stops, digits, and what to do when you press the wrong chord.
- Longer words and awkward endingsHow a long word becomes a short run of chords.
- The word listChoosing between words that sound alike, looking up a chord, and adding your own words.
- A practice planTen minutes a day, and whole sentences to write.
Appendices
- Chord chartEvery chord on one page, for looking things up.
- When something goes wrongFind what you see on the page, and what to do about it.
In the meantime, How it works covers the whole board.
Want to know when the book is ready?
Leave your email and we will tell you when it is out. One email to confirm it is you, then news of the book and the app. No spam, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
We use your address only for news about Thorn shorthand. Privacy