I was always curious about this. My dad was a lawyer. I basically learned to touch type by transcribing legal dictations. From about 11 years old I used to earn my allowance by typing up depositions that had been recorded in his office. My mom had an electric typewriter and a tape machine with a foot pedal attachment that let you play or rewind the tape with your right foot. They'd pay me $2 an hour to sit and type them out. Formatting was important. For me it was like a game. I was always slightly jealous of the people who could use those court reporter machines, and wondered how they did it. Seemed like magic.