Ever wonder what you'd do if you were suddenly incapacitated and unable to complete a deadline? After all, only a tiny minority of writers have disability insurance, and sugar daddies are in woefully short supply these days.
After injuring my dominant left arm and shoulder and finding myself unable to type, I quickly thought of a program I heard other writers discussing. Dragon NaturallySpeaking contains everything you need to get started with dictation. Included with the standard program you'll receive one microphone headset and a clear set of instructions to turn your computer into a voice recognition machine.
Yes, you will have to spend some time learning the software and training it to recognize your distinct voice. But within two hours of receiving the package, I was responding to e-mails and beginning work on my manuscript.
At first, Dragon was making many mistakes, and I was constantly forgetting the correct commands. However, in another day I was using the program almost effortlessly -- and that was under the influence of painkillers.
I've thought about trying out Dragon in the past, but I seriously doubted I could write creatively via dictation. However, when forced to make the transition, I found it far easier than expected. Yes, I still have to watch Dragon for mistakes and I'm new enough to the program that I'm forced to give it my full attention. I've also found it's a bit prudish about off-color language, but I'm equally determined to allow my characters to say what they want to say.
At the moment, I'm dictating this blog post. The only corrections I've made so far, outside of a couple of miscues, are the sort of normal tweaks I make any time I'm writing.
For certain, I'm writing much faster than I possibly could typing with one hand, and with far less frustration. I can definitely see why the software is popular among those with temporary or permanent disabilities. While I'm not sure I would've wanted to go through the bother and expense of learning and buying Dragon without a compelling reason, I'm definitely glad I have it now and would highly recommend it to anyone experiencing hand or eye problems.
My husband, a slow typist, is interested in training the software to his voice as well. I'll keep you posted on how that works out for him, though I'm betting without an injury to force him into it, he'll find it more frustrating than helpful.
Comments
You are my hero. Nothing slows you down. Thanks for the info. I'm not sure I'll get it now, but you can bet if the need arises, I'll give it a shot.
Teri
Happy Writing--however you get the words on the page!
Meanwhile, the technology boggles my mind. How on earth can that work?
Majiknology.
I do find that Dragon is boggled when I creatively use language. It's great for the straightforward stuff, but you don't want to go getting too poetic on it.
But it did just type my grocery shopping list, so I'm not complaining too much.
Hopefully, the software will continue improving to the point you can use it for multiple speakers.
I'm so glad the software is working for you. You're a real trooper. Nothing keeps you down.
I'm thinking about giving it another try.
Linda
Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on it.
One question: Does it come with a digital tape recorder and if so, do you know if that works well, too? I've been debating buying this software for a while now.
Thanks for the warm thoughts.
There's a more expensive version that does contain a digital recorder. Or you can buy a digital recorder separately. I was thinking about doing that, but I like seeing the text as it appears so I can correct any errors. I wouldn't like to get too far ahead of myself before correcting the mistakes.
Jane (Myers Perrine)
Nice see you here and thanks for the kind words.
I've been surprised by how quickly I'm adjusting to Dragon. I never thought I'd be able to dictate my writing. Sometimes, however, my flow is interrupted by having to go back and correct errors. The software works great for normal dictation, but if I try to get too artsy, the program can't interpret words used in unusual ways. Still, I don't feel it's changed my voice, just made me more aware of what I'm writing.
I have found myself more eager to work and a little more engaged because I have to concentrate more closely on this new method. Since focus can sometimes be a problem for me, I consider this a asset.
Yesterday, I dictated five pages on my work in progress (which is a fairly normal writing day for me) and I'm still getting used to the program. In the coming days, I hope to increase my output and improve my productivity.
Or so it seemed at the time. Are you seeing a difference?
Eileen
I don't think there's much of a difference in the long run. At first I felt inhibited, and my descriptions were quite sparse. But now that I'm getting used to the software and firmly closing my office door, I find my "real" voice coming out to play more. As I mentioned previously, frequent pauses to correct errors are interrupting my flow to some extent, but that loss is offset by the necessity of focusing closely on the screen.
While it works far better for answering correspondence and it's easier than typing one handed, I'm still looking forward to the day I can go back using a keyboard as usual.
Also, I've learned that Dragon gets its feelings hurt when you lose your temper and curse at it. It goes into a pout and closes down Word. :-)