Speed read fiction

How to speed read fiction

Start at 300 words a minute. Fiction is easier text than non-fiction, which is why the adult average is higher for it: 260 words a minute against 238. The risk is different. Speed can flatten the voice.

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The method, in four steps

Set the pace 50 to 100 words a minute above your comfortable speed, not double it.
Let dialogue run fast. It is the easiest text there is.
Slow down for the opening of a chapter, where the scene is set.
Stop at chapter ends. The quick check there tells you if you were present.

The mistake to avoid

Reading a novel like a report. If you want the sentences, read them at the speed they were written for.

See the pace first

Not sure what 300 words a minute looks like? Take the 300 wpm test, or measure your own speed and start 50 above it.

Questions

How fast should I read fiction?

Start at 300 words a minute and adjust by the quiz: at 80% or better, go up 25; below that, come down 50. The adult average is 238 for non-fiction.

What is the biggest mistake when speed reading fiction?

Reading a novel like a report. If you want the sentences, read them at the speed they were written for.

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