How to Write a Novel: Dictate your book
The word ‘writing’ is associated with hitting keys on a keyboard to make letters appear on a screen, or inscribing by hand onto paper. But the result is a mode of communication from one brain to another through the medium of words. Your voice can generate those words just as much as your fingers.
Famous dictating authors include John Milton (Paradise Lost), Dan Brown, Henry James, Barbara Cartland, and Winston Churchill. When Terry Pratchett, fantasy author of the Discworld series, developed Alzheimer’s disease, he couldn’t write anymore, so he moved to dictation in his final years.
Clearly, dictation can work for many writers across different genres, and it has become more popular for authors as technology makes it easier and faster. Why might you consider dictation?
Writing speed and stamina
Most people can speak faster than they write, so dictation is faster at getting words on the page than typing.
You have to know what you want to write before you speak, so it’s more effective for plotters and outliners than for discovery writers. I’ve dictated at later stages of my novels, and used it more effectively for nonfiction, including the first draft of this book.
You will need to do a light edit to correct transcription issues each time, but if you want to get your first draft done faster, dictation can be effective.
Increased creativity
Some writers have a problem with perfectionism and critical voice in the first draft. They struggle to finish a book because they constantly edit what they write. If you dictate, you can bypass critical voice, get the first draft done, and edit later.
Health reasons
You can dictate standing up or walking, or even lying in bed, and many writers with health issues find dictation useful. Dictation can help ease or prevent pain now, and learning how to write with dictation can also future-proof your living as a writer in case of health problems later.
I started dictating when I developed pain in my wrists and forearms and used it to write some of the first drafts of my thrillers Destroyer of Worlds and Map of Shadows.
I eventually corrected the pain issues through changes to my health and fitness (which I wrote about in The Healthy Writer), and now I prefer to write in a local café, which is not so conducive to dictation. But I’m glad I learned the skill and I use it occasionally, just not for every book.
What’s stopping you from dictating?
There are many reasons people resist dictation. I know them all because I’ve been through this journey!
The most common are:
• I’m used to typing. I don’t have the right brain for dictation.
• I don’t want to say the punctuation out loud. It will disrupt my flow.
• I have an accent which will make it difficult for the software to transcribe my words correctly.
• I write fantasy books with weird names that won’t work for dictation.
• I don’t know how to set it up technically.
• I can’t spare the time to learn how to dictate.
Here’s what I wrote in my journal on the first day I tried dictation before I’d even started.
I’m very self-conscious. I’m worried that I won’t be able to find the words. I’m so used to typing and creating through my fingers that doing it with my voice feels strange. But I learned to type with my fingers, so why can’t I learn to type with my words? I just have to practice. Something will shift in my mind at some point, and it will just work.
This should make me a healthier author, and also someone who writes faster. Authors who use dictation are writing incredibly fast. That’s what I want. I want to write stories faster, as I have so many in my mind that I want to get into the world.
Here are thoughts from my journal after the first session:
It felt like the words were really bad and the story clunky and poor. But actually, when the transcription was done, and I edited it, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. A classic case of critical voice. I need to ignore this when I’m dictating.
I thought I would find the punctuation difficult, but it was easier than expected. There are only a few commands you use regularly, and dialogue is the worst, but you get into a rhythm with that. It also gives you a pause between each speaker to consider what they might say next, so perhaps it is a blessing in disguise.
So whatever your reservations, give dictation a try and you might find the reality is easier than you think.
Different methods of dictation
There are two primary methods of dictation:
(1) Speech to text in real time
Dictate straight into a program or app, and adjust the words on the screen as you go. You may also be using voice commands to do other tasks — for example, to open email, send messages, and more.
(2) Dictate now, transcribe later
Use a recording device to record your words now and later have them transcribed. You can send them to a transcription service or use AI transcription or upload them into Dragon or another speech-to-text program.
I tried real-time speech-to-text and struggled with critical voice and a need to edit as the words appeared on the screen. So I switched to recording into a handheld device and uploaded it for transcription later.
I’ve tried different transcription options — Dragon Dictate on my Mac, Dragon Anywhere on the iPhone, Descript AI transcription, and Speechpad.com for human transcription. All have different levels of accuracy and cost, but all need at least a light edit to make sense of the entire transcription.
Speech-to-text technology is improving incredibly fast and will only continue to improve with the mainstream adoption of voice-first devices. Start with one variation based on the process you want to use, and your budget, and change as necessary once you discover what works for you.
Mobile apps and recording on the move
Since most people carry a phone anyway, it makes sense to use it for dictation. There are many apps. Some are free, some have subscriptions, and most sync with the cloud so you don’t have to worry about losing your recordings.
Options include Dragon Anywhere, Dictation, Dictate Pro, and apps like Otter.ai, which use artificial intelligence to transcribe.
I also have a handheld Sony ICD-PX333 MP3 recording device which I sometimes use when out walking and dictating to conserve my phone battery.
The quality of your recordings on the move will be better if you use a microphone or headset. There are some with wind and noise-cancellation settings, with options improving all the time.
At-home options for computers
You can record straight into your computer using built-in options. On a Mac, look for the Start Dictation command in the Edit menu of most programs. On a PC, use the Speech Recognition tool. You can also dictate into Google Docs and other word processing tools.
You can also use premium software like Dragon, which you can train to recognize your specific speech patterns.
Again, the quality of the recording will improve if you use a microphone. I have a Blue Yeti, which I also use for podcasting.
Dictation tips from writers who use it
International bestselling and multi-award-winning author Kevin J. Anderson dictates all his books. He says,
“The biggest advice that I would give for you and for other writers to get started with dictation is don’t try to write that way. The best way to start is to do notes or brainstorming. Take your recorder and just go for a walk. It’s almost like free association.”
Kevin dictates while hiking in Colorado and then sends the files to a human transcriptionist every day. He shares more tips in his book On Being a Dictator.
Monica Leonelle, author of Dictate your Book, says,
“Dragon thinks very differently than we do. We think in words. But Dragon thinks in phrases. So think about what you’re going to say and then speak it with confidence. This makes the punctuation easier too.”
This tip applies to any speech-to-text software. I dictate my text messages into my iPhone, and although it starts transcribing as I start speaking, it often changes the sentence once I have finished, so it reflects what I say more accurately by the end. The AI engine needs the whole context for the words to be correct.
Scott Baker, author of The Writer’s Guide to Training Your Dragon, says,
“Embrace dictation as a productivity tool. It’s a weapon in your writing arsenal and your workflow. Don’t treat it like it’s something completely alien.
We’re familiar with the keyboard, but that isn’t necessarily the best input method, anyway. Input methods keep changing. We’ve had the quill, and then we had the pen and then we had the typewriter and now we have the computer keyboard. In the last few years, we’ve had touch. I genuinely believe that the next big input method is voice.
In the next 10 years, if you’re not embracing voice, you will be behind in the same way as if you don’t have a smartphone right now. You’re missing out on a lot of technological help.”
Questions:
• Why might you consider dictation? How might it help your writing?
• What’s stopping you from dictating? How can you work through those issues in order to try it?
• What method of dictation might work for you?
• What tools do you need to get started?
Resources:
• Dictate your Book: How to Write Your Book Faster, Better, and Smarter — Monica Leonelle
• Foolproof Dictation: A No-Nonsense System for Effective & Rewarding Dictation — Christopher Downing
• On Being A Dictator: Using Dictation To Be a Better Writer — Kevin J. Anderson and Martin L. Shoemaker
• The Writer’s Guide to Training your Dragon: Using Speech Recognition Software to Dictate Your Book and Supercharge Your Writing Workflow — Scott Baker
