Lots of activities have adopted the adjective "speed", and for various reasons other than expediency. Speed golf is one, whereby the game pace is upped to a run and hit, thereby evening the playing field for those who don't normally stand a chance hitting the ball correctly. Then there is speed walking, not that normal walking is that bad, but you can increase your cardio workout, or make that actually exercise your cardio, without having to don skin tight Under Armor. Then there is speed dating, which is basically like fishing, since there are tons in the sea, but using a lure over and over again instead of the normal bait and wait.
Then there are some people that are speed readers. Beats me how they do it, I still read at the same lousy 25 words per minute that I used to when I was still part of the Book It club. Except now it takes me a year to get through a real book and after 5 years I still don't get a personal pan pizza out of it. But as I get out of the shower today and have a great oyster beer on my mind waiting for me, I wonder if anybody openly speed writes?
Writing certainly takes more time than reading. So I would imagine if any of those two communication vices could be better served by increased frequency I would put my money on writing. But it is interesting, in this world of metrics and GDP and cost reduction that I've never really heard of anything like time required to write something. Except when it comes to standardized tests. When one is forced to write a B+ commentative report in 30 minutes or less on how a character from Moby Dick could evolve into a mystical siren representing a global chain of coffee.
Other than efficiency, getting more words on paper in a short amount of time, I can't imagine that speed writing carries any additional benefits like more competitive gaming or increased cardio. It does force the mind to establish then follow a set path, even though it may not be the best path for getting to the end destination. But ultimately, sometimes, you just need to get the destination and it doesn't matter if it was the attractive scenic route or the 6-lane highway. Because in most cases, nobody takes the scenic route these days anyway, it's all about speed and staring at endless pavement and fake stone walls that separate us from the semi-real world of neighborhoods that have no desire to stare at or listen to us.
Writing is a means to an end, as well as an art. But the value is not so much for the writer, who can, and should, expend whatever time is necessary to craft the message. The value is the fact that once created, time will have a hell of time letting the rest of the world forget it.
