Hey Space Cadets, how’re you all doing today? I’m doing great, not as consistent on my walks as I would like but the constantly changing temperature and rainy weather is playing heck on my sinuses. I also made the excuse to myself that I needed to write because I’m behind on my book three goal but that strikes me as missing the forest for the trees. I did manage to walk a mile today, which is progress. I was tired, but I managed it in 29 minutes. A far cry from my Army days but I’ll get better again.
I’ve slowed down on Operation Breakout, but I’ve re-committed to using my Nuance Dragon program to write it. In the end, it will pay dividends for me even if it slows me down just a little bit. Ultimately, you have to evolve your writing style to suit your needs. I injured my hand in my infantry days and it’s been bothering me, which has slowed down my typing. I’ve also changed how I write my novels over the course of two novels, a novella and a short story. My writing style has grown and my process has evolved, but my inability to get it on the page quickly wasn’t keeping up. This has forced me to adapt my approach to my new reality, ergo the Dragon text-to-speech approach.
As I struggled to find a way to make it work for me, I consulted the Dragon Nuance Support Center for help. I realized that part of the problem was that my older version of Dragon wasn’t interfacing as effectively with Windows 10 and the newest Microsoft Word. Because I have faith that I’ll make the Dragon work for me, I plopped down the $150 and bought the latest version. I didn’t have to pay full price, because they gave me a 50% discount for having the older version. The newer copy arrived on Monday, and I’ve been using it since. I like that it doesn’t have the same issue with my Word document freezing that my older version had. I’ve only used the latest version on a few blog posts so far, but I’m impressed.
I then started doing some active research on how to make the Dragon work better for me, not the “using it” part but the more practical applications of it. I researched how to think the story out loud, and have my creativity become a verbal process instead of fingers clacking on the keyboard. During this process, I ran across Scott Baker’s YouTube channel. It has loads of great advice in there on how to practically use several of the Dragon’s features. Additionally, I found the Dragon Riders – Authors Dictating group on Facebook which was jampacked with helpful posts and practical tips (Thank you Terry Mixon for showing me this group!). If this sounds like something you’re interested in, be sure to check out both of these resources.
Finally, I recently found out that Scott Baker has a book coming out soon on how to work the Dragon into your creative process. He’s been pretty helpful on the Dragon Riders group so I’ll be buying this when it comes out and I’ll let you know what I think. Otherwise, I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so I’ll keep this post short and sweet. Instead, I’ll leave you with some cool pictures of dragons!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are images owned by JR Handley.
J.R. Handley Blog 
Excellent. Adopting new ways to transfer your ideas into written form must be frustrating in the beginning. Reading this post, I realize just how much I rely on typing to get the job done. It’s as though the ideas come from my fingertips, rather than my brain. I’m happy for you that you’re getting the Dragon to work for you. 🙂
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Thank you, mostly it’s out of necessity. I’m just trying to get there while I can still type some too. Luckily the Facebook group I mentioned has been VERY helpful.
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Well, I am sending you good vibes. 🙂
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Thanks!
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You are most welcome.
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Interesting post although the way you signed off was amazing!
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Glad you liked it! ‘Cause who doesn’t love dragons?
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Keep up the great work!
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I shall endeavor to complete your request, my gracious lady!
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Interesting. Do you like the software better than typing? I tried Dragon years and years ago, and it was awful. But, you know, that was back when dinosaurs and Packard Bell walked the earth…
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The new version is awesome, you can even set it for regional accents! My issue is learning to talk my story, vs using the dictation software itself. Reverting back to our verbal folklore days and all.
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I’m a huge believe in process and work flow. So if you’ve developed something that works for you, keep doing it. I’ve never tried Dragon, but it’s something I’m considering for things like world building. I find myself talking a lot on the drive or just thinking out loud, and I’d like to have something I can use to get those thoughts on paper. You ever try using a recorder and then hooking that up to Dragon at a later time? Just curious. Anyway, as long as you keep writing, we’ll keep reading. I for one, don’t care how the pages get in front of me.
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I haven’t tried the transcription feature from Dragon, but Scott Baker has a vlog on YouTube on how to do it. The newest version will do that for you. For me, though, the form of my writing is out of necessity. My main goal is to get those stories down and in front of eyeballs ASAP. I wanna be a pulp machine, but only quality stories.
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I’ve heard that older versions of Dragon were very hit or miss. I’m glad your newest version is much better!
Also, I’ll be sure to check out Scott’s YouTube channel. I like the idea of talking my story out, rather than typing it down in a word processor.
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Hope the YouTube videos work out for you! And I think you’ll be impressed with the new Dragon software. I’ve heard it’s slightly different on a MAC but I don’t know for sure.
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For some reason the pics don’t show up for me. 😦 But I’m glad to see this update about Dragon. I’m not convinced it’s the right medium for me (especially since I like typing), but it’s good to know about this alternative.
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Sorry the pictures didn’t show up. And yeah, ultimately you have to do what works for you!
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Love your attitude, J.R. Lot of excellent info in this post. Keep going, brother!
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Thanks, and after your THINK I CAN post the other day I feel the same way! We got this!
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Great post thankk you
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Anytime!
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