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, typed words are in a more finished state than my 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. When I dictate, I’m often in a setting that isn’t conducive to other computer tasks, so there’s no 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. I end up with two types of errors: first, the app makes mistakes transcribing, and second, the process tends to be more stream-of-consciousness.

IT’S A DIFFERENT SKILL

Telling a story is a surprisingly different use of your brain than sitting down and writing one. 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 walking.

COCOON WEAVER

The app I’m currently using is 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 think there are a lot of apps available for free that work well. Apple Notes has a dictation function that I may try out with my next book.

CONCLUSION

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