Inks Goes Freelance

Learning to write again is like coming off medication.

Except I'm not learning to write again exactly; that doesn't ever go. What does go AWOL is the ability to recognise that you do have talent; that you can write and you can express yourself with a pen and paper (or a computer and keyboard).

It's a slow process and can be extremely frustrating, too. You know what you want to write but you just can't get down the way you feel it should be.

I've acquired a very cheap Psion (£1 in a charity shop in Watford) and it works very well considering it's been dropped. I use it to ask myself questions about what my character should be doing, or thinking in his/her current situation. Anything to get the writing processes kick-started again. At a later date I will then answer those questions in the novel itself.

I'm lucky; a good part of my novel is already written thanks to the short stories I wrote some time ago. All I need to do is to work them all together. But, I need an introduction (which I'm working on now) and a reason as to why this situation is happening.

It's easy to just write a story with the bare outlines but there has to be a reason why your character may behave in a particular way. Why hasn't he/she escaped? Has she tried at all? Or has he just accepted his fate?

That sort of thing.

I haven't given up on the speech to text software. It will come into its own much later.

For now, I'm just happy taking things slow.

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Well I'm all set to go with the Speech to Text software. All registered and unlocked.

Now, I have a mammoth task of training it. Somehow, I just know that, my accent may become a problem here ;)

I have to say a huge Thank you to Katinka who gave me a lovely write up on her blog, Squidoo Friends :) Katinka is also known as Spirituality at Squidoo and gives out lots of Angel blessings, comments, ratings and feedback to other Lensmasters. A good supportive Giant Squid :)

Back links are vital for a blogs' (and other websites) success and this blog is definitely lacking in those! Despite this blog being active now for over 2 years, its traffic is very poor. Mind you, a lot of that is my own fault as I've been so busy at Squidoo, I've neglected a good many of my websites. I think it will be now on my list of To-Do's on my lens, Playing Havoc on Ning.

Surprisingly on the list plexo for the above lens, writing a novel is not considered the most important thing for me to do. It seems that establishing back links and your expertise is.


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 I have to admit to being a rather lazy writer. If I can find a way to get my thoughts, ideas, stories etc. down on paper/the screen without expending too much energy then I will be in my element. The writing world would never know what hit it.

So, my latest experiment?

The use of Speech to Text software.

By using this I can speak into the microphone and, hopefully, the software will understand what I say and write it.

Of course, there's problems. You have to spend a while training it. At the moment the software I'm using doesn't understand when I say 'train word'. Must be my accent.

However, I don't know if I'm using the best software available for the job. A search for the right program tends to show text to speech software and not so many the other way round. Not good.

 I'm also restricted in the fact that I cannot afford to pay for software at this point. My trial period for e-speaking voice runs out in a couple of weeks so need to find a solution by then.

Have you used speech to text software to write?
Are you using one now?
Can you recommend software to me?

I have a headphone/mic set so am all set up to use it. I just need to find the perfect piece of software so I can get 'scribbling.'


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Have fun and unleash your creativity with a writing exercise.

Write your response to the latest exercise on this blog in the comment section:

One of your characters has an accident.

What happens?
Does anyone help?
Does he/she escape uninjured?


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