Is It Worth the Effort?
I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t written a dedicated post about dictation before now. I’ve mentioned it in passing, and it’s come up in discussions, but never in its own spotlight. Maybe that’s because my relationship with dictation has been a bit of a rollercoaster.
Let’s just say, I’ve had four serious attempts at training my Dragon, and I’ve thrown in the towel each time. But I’ve experienced both the highs and the headaches of dictating fiction, and there’s a lot to unpack. So if you’re considering adding dictation to your writing process, here’s the breakdown—no sugarcoating.
The Pros of Dictating Fiction
- Speed!!
Let’s start with the biggest pro—and frankly, the reason most people give it a shot in the first place. Dictation can be fast. When I’m typing, I average about 1,300 words per hour. That’s a respectable pace, right? Well, with dictation, I can triple that. Yes, triple. The potential for cranking out massive word counts is highly motivating. If you’ve got a tight deadline or you’re trying to hit those ambitious NaNoWriMo goals, dictation can feel like a superpower. - You can keep up with your thoughts
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking faster than your fingers can type, dictation is a game changer. Speaking your thoughts out loud allows you to capture ideas as quickly as they come. No more “wait, what was that brilliant sentence I just thought of?” It’s there, ready to be edited later. - Save your hands and wrists
I know firsthand how essential this is. A few years back, I broke my arm. Typing was out of the question, but I still had deadlines and bills to pay. Dictation saved my business from imploding. Even if you don’t have a broken limb, if you’re prone to wrist pain or carpal tunnel, dictation is a godsend. Your hands will thank you. - You can move around
Another benefit? You’re not glued to your desk. Walking around while dictating has actual health benefits—get those steps in while cranking out your next chapter. That said, see below for the limitations of where and when you can dictate (spoiler: your local coffee shop is not one of them). - You can use AI to clean things up
With large language model (LLM) AIs being readily available, you can throw your dictated text at them to polish up. They can do a decent job cleaning up the worst of dictation’s rough edges, especially the little mistakes you might not catch right away.
The Cons of Dictating Fiction
But now… the cons. And I’m going to be brutally honest here.
- Clean up is a bitch
Sure, dictation is fast—but cleaning up the mess it leaves behind is a nightmare. You’ll find typos, misheard words, random punctuation, and sometimes entire sentences that make no sense. I’m not talking about a few stray typos; I’m talking about chunks of text that require heavy editing to make readable. That impressive word count from earlier? Well, factor in the clean-up time, and suddenly your net speed isn’t looking so hot. - The cost of software is an insult
If you’re going to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking—the gold standard for dictation—you’re looking at a hefty price tag. It’s not cheap, and for something that’s supposed to make life easier, paying that much feels like an insult. The alternatives? They’re free, like Microsoft Dictate or Windows Speech Recognition (and most computer OSs have built-in speech recognition of some sort), and they suck. Like, industrial-strength vacuum suck. Nothing in between, folks. - It eats up computer resources
Dictation software is hungry. It demands a lot of your computer, and if you’re not running on something pretty souped-up, you’ll notice the drag. Your poor laptop might start sounding like it’s about to take off into orbit. - The training period can be long
Getting dictation software to understand your voice takes time. A lot of time. You’ll spend hours training it to recognize your speech, accent, and any unique words you use. And even after all that training, expect hiccups. - You write differently when you dictate
This one’s a bit unexpected, but it’s real. Your prose changes when you dictate versus when you type. I had an editor ask me if everything was okay at home because one of my dictated books didn’t quite sound like me. It was a little… off. Turns out, when you speak your words instead of typing them, your writing can take on a different cadence or tone. And sometimes, that’s not for the better. - You can’t write away from your desk or souped-up laptop
Forget dictating on your phone or your basic laptop. The software you need for decent dictation is too resource-heavy. So while you can wander around your house muttering into a mic, you’re not going to be dictating from a hammock in the park unless you’ve got some serious tech with you. - You can’t dictate in public
Unless you enjoy strange looks from strangers or explaining to people that you’re not talking to yourself, you won’t be dictating in public spaces. And if you’ve got people around at home? It’s just awkward. Plus, it’s hard to stay focused when you’re trying to narrate an epic battle scene and someone’s asking what you want for dinner. - You have to keep buying new software
Dictation software doesn’t stay fresh for long. New updates, new versions, new costs. Every couple of years, you’re shelling out again to keep up with the latest improvements. It’s an ongoing expense that adds up. - Maintenance and training time
Even once you’ve got your software up and running, you’ll need to regularly maintain it and retrain it to keep it working optimally. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it tool. The upkeep is a time suck.
Summary
So where do I land? Honestly, I’m not a fan. I’ve tried, and I’ve given it multiple chances because I really do like the speed dictation promises. But all the other cons? They pile up fast. The clean-up time, the cost, the different tone in my writing—it all outweighs the initial thrill of rapid word counts.
That said, your experience might be different. Some people absolutely love dictation and swear by it. The only way to know for sure is to try it yourself and see if it fits your process. Just go in knowing it’s not all sunshine and 5,000 words a day.
