Dictating a Novel

I recently discovered a speech to text dictation app that has changed how I approach writing. Until recently, I associated writing with sitting down at my desk and clicking away on my keyboard. Toward the end of writing our first novel, Double Vision, I decided to try dictation and I found it very useful for certain things.

PROS

IT’S FASTER

I’ve “written” 3,500 words in an hour with dictation. The most I’ve written in an hour while typing is just over 1,000 words. That said, when I type words, the result is a much more finished state than dictated words.

MITIGATES PERFECTIONISM

Knowing your initial draft is meant to be unpolished and potentially incomplete imbues the process with a freedom I don’t always feel when writing.

FEWER DISTRACTIONS

When I sit down at my computer, I often have to fight the urge to do a million other things. I have a full time job and writing is something I do in my spare time. So my to do list is long and often competes with the time I set aside for writing. I can dictate in a setting that isn’t conducive to other computer tasks, so there’s rarely conflict or competition for what to accomplish with that time.

NOT TIED TO A DESK

If you have a great idea and want to capture it, just pull out your phone and speak it. If you don’t have time to sit down and write, you can dictate while you’re driving your vehicle. If you want to go for a walk, you can “write” a chapter while getting some fresh air. Is sitting in your office killing your creativity? Do something else, let your mind wander, and dictate the creative ideas that come to you.

CONS

VERY ROUGH FIRST DRAFT

Dictating is definitely an uncensored process and I have to go back and heavily edit what has been transcribed. There are often mistakes with what has been transcribed (versus what I actually said) and the process tends to be more stream-of-consciousness.

IT’S A DIFFERENT SKILL

Vocalizing a story is a surprisingly different use of your brain than sitting down and writing it. It may not be a good fit for everyone. That said, I think it’s a skill you can develop, if you’re interested in doing so.

DIFFICULT TO DO IN PUBLIC

If I’m in a public place, I usually step outside or find a bit of privacy so I can dictate. And it’s usually only to capture something that has popped into my head. If I wan’t to “write” in earnest, I do a solo activity, like going for a walk.

APPLE NOTES

The app I initially tried was Cocoon Weaver. It's has a lot of features I like and it has a free version. I highly recommend the free version if you’re wanting to try out an app. But I’ve recently switched over to Apple Notes and think it also works very well. In the near future, I’m sure there will be many more free apps available, and they will become increasingly capable.

CONCLUSION

I'm going to try and use dictation for portions of my next novel. I'm curious to see if it speeds up the writing process for me, if it makes me inclined to "write" more often, etc. Regardless, it’s nice to have an alternative for when I feel stuck or for when I’m too busy to sit down for a writing session.