So, take someone like Immanuel Kant or Karl Marx or Adam Smith, all of whom had massive works to their names. Did they employ special "tricks of the trade" to make writing more efficient and less tiring (outside of dictation)? Were there theories around in the time period before mechanical writing methods about how to write by hand more efficiently? Was shorthand widely used in writing book-length works? Are there any peculiar stories associated with philosophers (I'm interested specifically in philosophers for all of these questions, but please share any stories you might have about non-fiction writers in general) and their writing habits?

Thanks! (Before you ask, I have asked over at /r/askphilosophy -- they told me to come here.)