Hot take: reading at 2x speed killed the slow burn for me

I tried skimming a 50-part series on a lost hiker in the Smokies because I was impatient, and I missed the whole buildup of why he took that wrong trail on day 4, so now I force myself to read every word at normal pace, but has anyone else ruined a story by rushing through the setup?

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mary83615h ago

Wait, are you saying you actually read every single word at normal speed now? I disagree that pacing is the issue here. Skimming is a skill, and if you miss key details like why he took the wrong trail, that's on you for rushing past the setup, not on reading fast. I read most things at 1.5x and still catch everything because I pay attention to the important beats, not every little description. Maybe try practicing with shorter stories before you blame the speed itself.