#freelance-gigs

I’ve also tried to dictate first drafts in the past with mixed success. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get something on paper—but you’ll also need to spend significant time editing and fine-tuning it.

I’d recommend coming up with a detailed outline before you begin. Otherwise, you might find yourself rabbling on an on—some of the first drafts that I forced myself to dictate were just long streams of barely-coherent nonsense.

(Much like anyone who’s ever spoken to me in real life, to be honest.)

Personally, I’ve only ever tried to use Google Docs—you can just use the docs app on the go and hit the microphone button on your phone to begin dictating. However, remember to add in punctuation yourself (e.g. “add em dash”) and note that it doesn’t always get everything 100% right. At least, it doesn’t for me.

I’ve considered using a more advanced tool like Otter.ai but haven’t yet made the plunge. To be perfectly honest, I stopped dictating first drafts once I realised:

A) How over-excited I get at bashing out a “first draft” in like 10 - 15 minutes

B) That I usually have to spend significantly longer editing/rewriting than I would otherwise have to, quickly nullifying my initial excitement

Anyway, good luck! Let me know how it goes.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

^rly helpful stuff!

I write stand-up comedy via an Android voice app (whatever cheapo voice recorder is on there) and will then listen back and jot down a rough outline etc that I take with me up on stage at open mics -- I actually never thought to write for my day job in the same way so ty for getting me thinking about that!