I love to travel and have ever since I was three and slept on the floorboard of my parents’ pickup while we traversed the miles from Indiana to California. (This was before seatbelt and car seat laws were enacted, so you have an inkling how old I am.) Traveling brings many rewards and descriptive settings for my stories, but when I’m drafting a new book, it can make a mockery of word count goals.

I recently drove myself, my husband, and several students to Kentucky to visit several caves. Obviously, since I was driving, I couldn’t very well plunk out words on my laptop. I was however on a self-imposed deadline and couldn’t afford to lose the entire ten hours of driving time. Several of my writing friends have been extolling the virtues of dictation as a way to get words on the page, so to speak, while drafting, so I decided to give it another try.

This was not my first time experimenting with dictation, but while prior attempts had resulted in words, I also had nearly as much time invested in editing to untangle the mess as in the dictation itself.

Another factor in my decision to give dictation another go was my recent acquisition of a new phone. My previous device tended to cut me off without my realizing it, forcing me to repeat paragraphs of story once I noticed the text had ceased to appear. Not an easy feat and nearly impossible to reproduce exactly, which is especially depressing when you thought a particular turn of phrase to be quite clever. (Of course, it probably wouldn’t make the final edit, but you could still adore it for a bit. Am I right?)

To say I was impressed by the new phone’s ability to accurately reproduce my words without cutting me off, is an understatement. On stretches of highway where there was little traffic and no turns, I successfully dictated over my word count goal each day. In the evenings, I spent a bit of time editing, but no more than I would had I typed the original draft.

Overall, I gauge the experiment a success and would definitely recommend trying dictation as a way to “write” while on the go. Perhaps doing it while driving isn’t the best recommendation, but dictating while exercising, performing mindless household chores like dishes, laundry, or gardening might be a good option.

Dictation can allow writers to accumulate words while freeing our hands for other tasks. There is a bit of a learning curve, and you’ll need some practice to grow the skill. If you’re interested in learning more, there are many writers who offer classes in getting started with dictation.

If you’re ready to try something new to increase your daily output, dictation may be the breakthrough you’re looking for. And if doesn’t become your preferred way to create, it could become the backup method that provides an option when typing isn’t practical or possible.

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