Day 7 -- R G C

• An element of risk does not drive the diver away from work. Men strive for positive location before they make the dive. The air tank that is worn by the diver gives the diver air.

becomes

• An element o` ris` does not dri`e the di`er a`a` `rom `or`. Men stri`e `or positi`e location `e`ore the` ma`e the di`e. The air tan` that is `orn `` the di`er gi`es the di`er air.

As a Dvorak keyboardist, you will possess greater speed, more accuracy, and less fatigue. What you may not be prepared for, as I was not, is what a major undertaking it is and how utterly alone you are at times. My office co-worker and one of the computer support people took a little interest at first, but it faded fast. Unless you are making the switch with a group or with another person, no one will have the slightest idea or interest in what you are doing. The few who do know you are switching keyboards wonder why. You may find this indifference noisome. Use this opportunity to develop self-confidence and stick-to-it-iveness. Think of all the free time you will have as a result of learning Dvorak. And you'll enjoy it more because you'll be less fatigued.

Day 8 -- F Y K

• Strive to make just five or six wives drive their neighbors to that lazy river for the quiet picnic given by this club.

becomes

• Stri`e to make `ust fi`e or si` `i`es dri`e their neigh`ors to that la`y ri`er for the `uiet picnic gi`en `y this clu`.

A major problem is that one is always fighting the old keyboard. Your fingers want to go to the old positions. While you learn, try hard to avoid the old keyboard although it is not always possible. You must eventually be able to use both layouts fluently with no habitual cross-reaching on either layout.

Day 9 -- W V Z

• He hid justifiably high emotion when he won the consolation prize for his quiet devotion to sick exiles of that nation.

becomes

• He hid `ustifia`ly high emotion when he won the consolation prize for his `uiet devotion to sick e`iles of that nation.

You don't even need a keyboard. You can practice on a bus, in a restaurant, in a supermarket, viewing commercials on television. Look at the bit you want to type and send a mental impulse to the correct finger. You can have your hands on your lap, at your sides, or anywhere. In my own case, it would confuse me to have my arms crossed, but other than that I could impulse away like crazy. I don't recommend you do the whole program mentally, but this type of practice does count toward your 1 hour a day (for 40 days).

Day 10 -- B X

• That girl had quit her job when she won fifth prize for the orange jam given by the firms which make fine export items.

becomes

• That girl had `uit her `ob when she won fifth prize for the orange `am given by the firms which make fine export items.

Day 11 -- Q J

This day you will always remember. For the first time you will now type the whole alphabet. You can forget about typing partial words; no more thinking silent letters; you have now committed to memory the whole Dvorak keyboard and I'm so proud of you. It's time for some fun.

• The quick brown fox most assuredly jumped over the lazy dog.

becomes

• The quick brown fox most assuredly jumped over the lazy dog.

Day 12 -- Starting speed (m)

On the metronome, find your starting speed. Mine was 100 beats per minute (mm). Find the speed at which you can type all the letters without losing the beat. Give yourself plenty of time for finding the Qs and Js, etc. If you slow down and lose it, don't try to catch up. Find a good starting speed and move it up 4 beats per day. The metronome keeps you from speeding up too much. The urge to speed up is great with Dvorak and it's easy to outrun yourself.

Metronome guidelines

During the 40 hours (1 hour a day for 40 days) as you learn the basics there are certain activities involving motor skills that you should not do. A few of the things from which you should refrain are:

• Learning a new musical instrument

• Learning a new piece of music

• Learning or improving a motor skill sport

• Learning or improving a foreign language, or

• The hardest of all. Try to stay away from the old keyboard while you are learning the new . This, I realize, may not be possible as we all have livings to make. I was fortunate in that it was summer, and most of my work at the University involved number-crunching and graphics. It would be interesting to hear from someone who learned Dvorak while still working steadily with the old keyboard. After the 40 days, your speed should be up to about 43-45 wpm and will increase rapidly with daily use. In my case, this was enough to put an end to using the old keyboard.