Being an Indie Author there’s one seemingly insurmountable problem I find I cannot get round, being able to write. No, not being able to write, being able to write more. It’s simply a matter of time, or lack of. Unless you’re a paid writer as in a journalist or well read author, or retired, you will have a day job that takes precedent over your writing.
Getting enough words typed into my word processor to write a novel in less than three years, that’s the problem. Is there a solution?
I’ve tried, many times, to work to a timed solution. 25 minutes in the morning, 25 minutes at noon and 25 minutes in the evening. I even set my alarm to remind me to do my writing. But all to no avail. My wife and I run our own business and that takes precedent over everything, it’s our livelihood. Without our business we would starve… or worse still have to get a job!
I get up early in the morning to write, but my oldest English Springer, Harvey, knows when I get up and barks for attention! The plants need watering in the early morning as it’s too hot during the day in summer. In high summer it’s too hot to do anything. Even now, in the early winter, as I write this, four hours after I woke up, I’m being plagued by the solitary remaining fly on the island. It’s a hard life being an indie author. But wait, is there a solution on the horizon?
Ever heard of speech recognition software? I have. It was briefly popular in the late eighties, but didn’t work very well. Now though it’s making a comeback and I was impressed with the stats. 95% accuracy and write up to three times faster. That will do me.
Apparently the leading software in the field can even learn from your accent and will work out all sorts of foibles you may have. Having once-upon-a-time given dictation to answer letters I’ve been tempted to give it a try. I rarely use Amazon’s forums, but asking about this technology people there have stated they can write thousands more words an hour using this method. Am I tempted? Well, there is a very large BUT to using speech recognition software.
Will the software pick up a dog barking, apparently it can. Will it recognise my wife shouting me from the office next door? Yep, if she shouts loud enough. If I fall asleep late at night will it transcribe my snoring? I have no doubt there are other problems as well. For $300 a pop for the leading software in this field I don’t want my intimate love scene to read like this:
He touched her lips and gently caressed her BARK! BARK! TOM! YOU ASLEEP AGAIN?
With that in mind, I’m more than a little reluctant to try this method out. So, what is the solution? Shut my office door and hope my phone doesn’t ring, or my wife shouts me or my dogs bark… not much chance of that.
I may just wait for old age when I’ll naturally talk to myself and I’m talking gobbledygook & gibberish. That way I’ll have plenty of time and transcription will be 100% accurate, no matter what!
Tom Kane © 2017
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