The sordid history of Times New Roman and four more stories about writing

Before you head out for the weekend, here are the five stories about writing that you might have missed this week:

How to Write Faster. This story didn’t actually come from the last week (it’s dated Aug. 10), but it was too good not to include because—let’s face it—who doesn’t want to write faster? Are you a Beethoven or a Mozart-type writer? Are you a burst-pause-evaluate writer? Do you pontificate for days about a first draft? Michael Agger writes in Slate about each of these characteristics and tackles “engineering” your environment and binge writing as he explores how to write faster.

Exactly your type. If you’ve opened Word or written an email you have used Times New Roman—but how much thought have you given it? Katherine Eastland writes in The Daily about the complicated story behind the creation of the world’s most used type. One that involves plagiarism, a boat maker, The London Times, the Wright Brothers, and a bomb from Hitler’s blitz.