This one’s a quick note — more dust trail than dispatch. I’ve been pressed for time, but consistency matters, and this felt worth sharing.
K.M. Weiland (whose work I’ve followed and respected for years) recently posted a guest article by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer:
📝 “How to Start Dictating Fiction (Even If You’ve Tried and Failed Before).”
→ Worth your time. You can read it here
Sarah’s take wasn’t hype or hustle. It was grounded — honest about how awkward, slow, and frustrating dictation can be at first… but also how _freeing_ it becomes when you stop trying to “write fast” and start trying to _speak true_.
Storytelling was originally oral.
We had voices and listeners long before we had keyboards or pens.
That hit harder than it should’ve.
I’ve always typed. Scribbled. Pushed words across the page like freight.
Dictation never felt like real writing.
But maybe that’s the wrong question. Maybe it’s not about how the words get there, just that they show up.
Truth is, I’m on the road a lot. My desktop setup is miles away more often than not. If I waited for the perfect writing window, I’d never finish this book. That’s why I’m starting to take dictation more seriously. Starting with five minutes here, ten there.
Progress happens between gates and hotel rooms.
Here’s what stuck with me: you want to start with low-stakes scenes or backstory; nothing precious, just something to get your voice moving. Talk slow; this isn’t a race. Don’t expect rhythm right away, either — dictation is a new skill, not some instant shortcut. And maybe most importantly, five minutes a day is enough to begin.
The piece made me rethink my process.
Made me consider that maybe some parts of this story I’m writing, this myth I’m chasing, might only surface if I speak them. So I’ll leave it there.
If the page feels heavy this week, maybe give your voice a try.
Big thanks to K.M. Weiland for the platform and to Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer for the insight.
— Mark