I'm a busy person. I spend a lot of my life rushing about, being a mom to my two busy, active sons, attending to my multiple other careers (sadly writing doesn't make enough for me yet for me to give up my day job) and, for the most part, NOT sitting in front of my computer actually writing.
Yet, I consistently write thousands of words every day.
How the hell do you do it? is a question I get asked on a regular basis.
Part of the answer is practice, of course. I've been writing thousands of words a day for well over 20 years now. Some of those words (all of them!) may be rubbish, but as the saying goes, you can't edit your first draft until you've written it.
Last week I talked about using Swype when you're on the go to get down small portions of writing. I mostly use Swype on my phone (a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, if anyone's interested) when standing about waiting for something - waiting for the kids to come out of school, for example. A hundred words here and there really adds up, as I pointed out in that blog post.
However, if I've got a bit more time on my hands, and somewhere to sit (watching kids' swimming, for example, or waiting for a doctor's appointment) I haul out my trusty K480.
My Logitech K480 keyboard actually lives under the passenger seat of my car. One of my favorite things about this keyboard as opposed to most Bluetooth keyboards is that it doesn't require charging up. Powered by 2 x AAA batteries (which last ages) you don't need yet another USB charger cable to clutter up your life.
Another awesome thing about this keyboard? It will sync with up to 3 Bluetooth devices and all you have to do to switch between them is turn the selector wheel.
So you can switch between typing your novel on your tablet, and answering your email on your phone, with a simple flick of the dial. SO EASY!!!
Now, this isn't the thinnest, lightest, smallest Bluetooth keyboard on the market.
That's not the point of this keyboard. If those are the qualities you're looking for, don't buy the K480.
If, however, you are looking for an incredibly comfortable typing experience on a portable keyboard that is at least as comfortable as a laptop, then this could very well be the keyboard for you.
I have big hands and tiny 'compact' keyboards are the bane of my life. If the keys are too close together, my typing speed and accuracy suffer disastrously. Same with anything that has little rubber press-keys when it's really hard to tell whether you've pressed them hard enough or not. Honestly, I'd rather use Swype. It's more efficient.
The K480 is a proper size keyboard for touch typists. It integrates with Windows, iOS and Android phones and tablets and basically transforms your tablet or phone into a laptop computer on which you can really motor on with your writing. I can comfortably hit 50-55 wpm on it (my best speed on my full-size ergonomic keyboard is about 60-65 wpm). The only reason I'm not as fast is that I usually balance the K480 on my lap. Put it on a table and I would be able to hit those top speeds.
The K480 has a really clever rubber-lined slot above the keys to hold your tablet or phone at the ideal viewing angle.
You can place your phone and/or tablet in the slot in whatever orientation you prefer for typing. Personally I tend to prefer the horizontal orientation as shown below.
The best deals I've found on Amazon for the K480 are $49.99 (+ 4.49 shipping) (US only) or $25.99 for Prime members (this shop will ship internationally too). It is also available in white if you particularly want that color but I was only able to find a refurbished version - very cheap tho! You can get the black one in a refurbished for cheap too.
So if you're looking to take your writing on the go without wanting to haul around a bulky laptop, please let me suggest the K480 as a budget-friendly, extremely comfortable and very portable alternative.
(Note, all these are stock photos from Amazon. I couldn't be bothered to head out to the car to grab my K480 to take a picture of it...)