Now it's quite common among writers to use voice dictation to help speed up their output, and it's something I've not only dipped my toes in…
I've gone straight down the bloody rabbit hole.
… And I still haven't come up for sunlight despite it being years since I bought Dragon NaturallySpeaking and a professional microphone.
I'll admit, it's a tough beast to wrangle.
Yes, you can get an awful lot of words down in a short space of time, but I've also found — especially in the beginning — that you make up for that time saved in the editing process, which I have long disdained.
Then there's speaking the story out loud, which just felt weird in the early days.
Writing as we talk is one thing, but that doesn't always translate well into storytelling.
I mean, even right now, I'm dictating this very email.
This feels way more natural as it's just me sending you a message, like I'm texting a friend (albeit a very long one).
With dictating stories, one has to channel that inner campfire storyteller our ancestors did way back when, which is no drive-thru.
BUT it is improving, and thankfully, it has been made a lot easier with ever-evolving technology.
No longer must I dictate the punctuation…
No longer do my transcripts resemble a child's bedroom in the morning.
(Hallelujah!)
And as I get better, so do my stories and the speed at which I publish.
A win-win if you ask me.
You know what else is a win-win?
The Collector's Edition Bundle for The Divided Region.
It's not only packed with all 5 books to date in e-book AND audiobook, but it comes with the Digital World Art and a printable map of Estos at an almost-too-generous 50% discount.
I'd venture to say it's a deal so good that even Iran would give it strong consideration.
But hurry, because I'll be unlisting this version in 24 hours.
All the details are:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/tdr-collectors
Have a great Easter, Legionnaire. Stay classy.
DJJW