Ever wondered if you could write your novel while taking a walk? In this episode, Mary shares her honest experiment with dictation writing—how she wrote nearly half of her latest manuscript (around 50,000 words) using nothing but her iPhone and daily neighborhood walks.

Mary breaks down her journey from being "dictation curious" to discovering a writing method that increased her productivity without sacrificing quality. She shares the exact tools she tested, the surprising learning curve, and whether dictated prose actually sounds different from typed writing.

If you're a busy writer struggling to find time for your creative work, this episode might just revolutionize your approach to novel writing.

In This Episode

Why Mary became interested in dictation as a writing method
The challenge of balancing writing with parenting, work, and exercise
Testing different dictation apps and why the free option won
How to handle character names and punctuation while dictating
Overcoming the social conditioning around silence and pauses
Real productivity results: words per hour comparison
Whether dictated writing differs from typed writing in tone and quality
Tips for integrating dictation into your existing routines

Key Takeaways

✅ The best dictation app turned out to be free (iPhone Notes app)

✅ Dictation can produce significantly more words per hour than typing

✅ Speaking punctuation becomes automatic after about a week

✅ Extended silences while walking actually improve the creative process

✅ Dictated prose can be indistinguishable from typed prose in the final draft

✅ Dictation allows writers to maintain other important life routines while still being productive

Resources Mentioned

iPhone Notes app for dictation
The Book Incubator writing program https://www.thebookincubator.com/

What's Next

Next week: How Mary is ethically using AI as a novelist, including post-dictation editing techniques.

Want more?

Apply for The Book Incubator: https://www.thebookincubator.com/
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/book.incubator/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maryadkins

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S09 E04 How I am Using Dictation to Write My Next Novel