It's easy enough to insert special characters, like é, or ö - even faster if you use 'sticky keys':

To insert é:

1. Press [Ctrl] + ' (together)

2. Release and press e

This works for other accents:

[Ctrl]+` , e for è

[Ctrl]+: , o for ö

[Ctrl]+^, e for ê

Find more shortcuts:

Use Insert » Symbol and find the character you want.

If it has a shortcut, it will be shown in the dialog box.