How It All Began
Last year, I was bedridden for a few days and spent time thinking about what to do with my writing. I really wanted to write, but I didn’t have the energy to pick up a pen or sit at the computer. Then it occurred to me: dictation. Why not just speak the words I want to write?
Some Planning First
I quickly realized that dictation wasn’t something I could do spontaneously. I still needed a structure to guide me. Having a few bullet points or rough sentences in front of me helped me stay focused and improvise along the way, much like I do when writing on a screen. I also came to see that this was a skill I could improve with practice. So far, I’ve dictated five chapters, and now I’m eager to dictate the rest of the book.
Not Liking the Sound of My Voice
I don’t like my voice, so at first it felt strange to listen to myself. But honestly, that kind of thinking is really counterproductive. I did a bit of research and soon discovered that most people feel this way about their voices. The voice we hear when we speak isn’t the same one others hear. We’re probably our own worst critics. And what does it matter, really? I’m the only one who’s going to listen to the recording, and I’ll delete it afterward. It’s just a tool to help me move forward.
How I Dictate a Chapter
Step 1: The Outline
I keep a notebook where I jot down rough ideas for each chapter. These notes help shape the structure as I go. Sometimes I write a few sentences I can read aloud as-is, other times I draft full scenes.
Step 2: The Dictation
I make sure I’m home alone so I can talk freely. It’s important to be mentally prepared for dictation, to feel focused and ready. I sit comfortably with the outline in front of me, a pen, and my phone. I dictate using the Google Recorder app. What’s great is that I can easily access the recordings on my computer.
While dictating, I can pause and jot something down if an idea comes up for a later part of the story. It’s better to record the idea separately than let it creep into the current recording. Sometimes I draw a blank, and then I just pause, stretch, look out the window, and let my thoughts settle. If I don’t know how to phrase something, I might just say something like “add that part later.”
When I’m done, I hit save. I usually split the recording into smaller parts. After all, it would be frustrating to record a whole chapter perfectly and then forget to hit save. Maybe there’s an autosave function, but I prefer dividing the chapter anyway. My chapters are usually naturally divided into two parts, so it works well. Once saved, I hit the transcription button, and then I’ve got a text file I can download.
Step 3: Editing the Transcription
When I’ve got the raw text, I start by editing the obvious mistakes. Then I listen to the recording while reading along. If I’ve paused often enough during the dictation, I can usually keep up and edit as I go. If not, I just adjust the playback to a lower speed. When I feel done, I listen one last time at normal speed to catch anything I’ve missed.
Step 4: Final Edits
Now I highlight the entire document and change all the text to red. Any text that hasn’t been thoroughly edited stays red. As I work through it, I change it back to black. That way I can clearly see where I left off when I return.
The final edit takes the most time. This is when I go through each sentence and make sure it holds up. Some parts I dictated might need additional research, like deciding what color someone’s dress was or how long a taxi ride would take. I could look that up as I go, but I prefer saving all of that for the final edit. That’s when everything is supposed to fall into place and I focus more on plausibility. I don’t want to put my brain into editing mode too early. I can’t create and critique at the same time.
No More Double Work
They say the brain benefits from doing different types of tasks. Dictating and editing takes my writing to a new level in that way. I used to write the book directly in a document. Eventually, I got tired of sitting in front of the computer so much. I wanted to think beyond the screen, so I started jotting down notes in a notebook or even writing entire chapters by hand, then typing them up, followed by multiple rounds of editing. But that wasn’t ideal either; it was time-consuming and often felt like doing the same job twice.
Letting the Brain Work With the Text in Different Ways
This method gives me the best of all worlds. First, there’s the idea phase, when I spend time with paper and pen. That’s when I think best. I brainstorm, sketch, cross things out, and reason my way through it. I visualize scenes and imagine them clearly. Once the outline feels solid, I move on to dictation. That’s the second phase, where my brain works in a different way, interpreting my notes and filling in the gaps. Lastly comes the editing phase, when I sit at the computer and polish everything.
Short Bursts Instead of a Marathon
Working on the manuscript like this makes the process more varied. Each step feels deliberate. If I just sit at the computer to write, or spend too long with pen and paper before typing, it starts to feel like a marathon and I’m not always in the mood for that. Now it’s more like running several short distances, which I can handle without much effort.
Dictation Helps Me Reach My Writing Goals
Right now, this method is helping me enormously. Here are the top three reasons I love using dictation.
What I Love About Dictation:
It’s Fun
Once you get going, dictating is surprisingly smooth and enjoyable. It’s also calming to sometimes just sit and gaze out the window while speaking. It’s a nice break for the eyes, too.
Seeing the Full Text Instantly
Hitting the transcription button and seeing all the text you just spoke is such a satisfying moment. Suddenly, you’ve got a first draft of your chapter. I’ve never produced this much running text in such a short time before.
Motivation to Finish the Chapter
Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me, but when I see the transcribed text, I really want to dive in and start shaping it. It’s like having a half-carved statue—you just need to chisel away the rough bits and reveal the details. There’s something deeply satisfying about that process.