Loud and Strong Writing Using Apple’s Dictation Software

Last week, before my computer had a total meltdown and spent nearly 2 weeks getting fixed, I started using Dictation so that I could read my handwritten articles out loud and the computer could type them for me.

This was great for two reasons.

Firstly, it eliminated my need to type them myself which is good because I don’t like typing. It’s such a boring job.

Secondly, it was much faster to speak my articles than to type them and Apple’s Dictation software is pretty accurate.

The only downside (which is probably a good thing really) was that I realised how badly written they were when I had to read them out loud.

I've read many times that reading your work out loud is the best way to look for grammatical errors and clumsy sentences. There's even one copywriter who says he reads his sales pages out loud a minimum of nine times because he wants readers to focus on the sales message and not be tripped up by sentences that are hard to read.

And this morning I read an article about Warren Buffett that said when he writes his annual letter to the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders, he writes it as though it is a personal letter to his two sisters, who are shareholders, and he pretends that they've been away for a year so he is explaining to them what has happened to their investment during that time.

He says that doing this makes his letter understandable and interesting to all his shareholders no matter what business level they are at.

And this is probably good advice for all writing, and that is, to write as though you're actually talking to someone you know. That way it makes you write more understandably and clearly.

This is where I think Dictation will help because “speaking” my articles out loud makes me see the mistakes in my writing instantly.

Sadly, I had to delete over a dozen blog posts I'd written, once I saw how bad they were when I read them out loud for Dictation.

But on the other hand, it's probably better all round that I didn't publish them.

And so I'm still going to continue using Dictation.

For all our sakes.

:)

My Reading Habits as a Writer

This post was originally written on 24th February 2019

We went to a shop yesterday. It was a bookshop. Every book in there cost $7 each. We only went in because we were looking around the new shopping centre which is close to where we are staying for the weekend.

I didn't expect to buy anything until I came across a book that I'd once borrowed from the library and loved it.

It’s “The Miracle Morning-The Six Habits That Will Transform Your Life Before 8 Am”. So I picked it up.

Then I saw another (huge) book that I'd always wanted to read called “Change Your Brain Change Your Life” by Dr Daniel G Amon. I already own a book of his called" How To Get Out Of Your Own Way” which I really like, and in it, he references his other book often.

I was hoping to get the trifecta and find a third book that I really wanted to buy, but I didn't.

But when we got back to the hotel and I put my two new books next one I'd brought with me that I'm currently reading which is "Psycho Cybernetics-Tap Into The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind," I realised but I have quite a theme with my current reading habits.

Then I thought that's probably all tied into writing and marketing as well because the previous book I read was" The 80/20 Rule Of Sales And Marketing.”

So I figured that one of the reasons for my choice of books is for my own personal development, and the other reason is to understand motivation and how people think because marketing is all about persuasion. So it's important to know what makes people tick.

And writing and marketing aren’t just what I do, it's who I am.

It's so much more than just having a job.

Adjust your own reading habits if it helps with your own writing and marketing.

And if you’re not reading a lot, you need to start.

And if you need help, grab a copy of The Miracle Morning because one of the six habits listed in the book is reading, and how to incorporate it into every day of your life.

Writing Motivation

"If you really think about it, hitting the snooze button in the morning doesn't even make sense. It's like saying, 'I hate getting up in the morning, so I do it over, and over, and over again.'" 

~ Demetri Martin

Sometimes it's hard to get going when you feel unmotivated.

I feel like that some days, but just like author Stephen King so famously said, don't wait for the muse to show up before you sit and write because it won't show up for work until you do.

So, in other words, whatever it is you have to do, just make a start and the rest will be easy.

The problem though is that we all want to achieve the goal (no matter how big or small it is) but we don't want to put in the actual work to make it happen. And it doesn't matter if your goal is small like having a shower every morning or writing a letter, or huge like redecorating the whole house or writing a book, getting started, or knowing how and where to start can seem like a bit of a hurdle.

I recently bought the Hal Elrod book, "The Miracle Morning" and in it, he talks about this problem too.

He says, "It's been said that nobody actually likes waking up early, but everyone loves the feeling of having woken up early. Kind of like exercising -- many of us struggle to get ourselves to the gym, but all of us love the feeling of having gone to the gym. Waking up early, especially when done with purpose, always starts you off feeling empowered for your day."

And it's true. We all dislike doing things, but we want the feeling of having it done.

Motivational speaker Mike Litman used to say it's important to focus on the goal, not on the process of getting there.

And it’s the same with writing. It’s hard to actually sit down and concentrate on getting the writing done when you have low motivation and there are so many distractions on the computer like games, social media and emails, just to name a few.

But what I find is that as soon as I sit down and make an effort to at least start, by taking out my diary and my notebooks and looking at what I was working on the day before and what I have to do that day. And I find that once I begin to just ‘look’ at what I have to do and re-read what I’ve already written, then I seem to get my ‘writing head’ on and that makes it much easier to get to work.

And when I have a productive day, it doesn’t just give me a feeling of satisfaction (and help me to earn more money), but it also helps me to generate more ideas for other writing projects.

So when you feel unmotivated to write, just remember what Nike said.

Just Do It.


And if you want to read more about writing motivation, go on and take a look at my latest writing article over on my website, The Gene Schwartz Japanese Tea Ceremony Distraction-Free Writing.

Porno and The "Bitcoin Hacker"

A couple of weeks ago I told you about a few annoying emails I've been receiving, all sent to various email addresses of mine at my different websites, accusing me of watching online porn and saying that if I didn't pay them in Bitcoin, they would send the supposed videos they have of me watching porn to all my family and co-workers.

I thought it rather amusing that they say that they know who my family members are and all my co-workers. That's really funny because like most writers, I work alone. So co-workers???? How stupid.

And as to what I was watching online, well, I don't (or extremely rarely, if ever) watch any online videos at all so chances of having recordings of me watching anything online would be slim to none.

And yesterday, after I finally got my computer back from the repair shop where it's been for almost 2 weeks, I found a dozen more Bitcoin Hacker emails had been sent to me, again, at my different email addresses for my different websites, so it's easy to see these addresses are just being scraped from the internet.

And below is exactly what the email says:

----------------------

This account was hacked! Modify your pswd right away!
You may not know anything about me and you may be definitely wanting to know why you are receiving this electronic message, is it right?
I am ahacker who exploitedyour emailand OSsome time ago.
Do not try to contact me or alternatively try to find me, in fact it's not possible, considering that I directed you a letter from YOUR hacked account.
I installed malware to the adult vids (porn) website and suppose you enjoyed this website to have some fun (you understand what I really mean).
When you have been keeping an eye on video clips, your browser started out to act as a RDP (Remote Control) with a keylogger that gave me permission to access your desktop and webcam.
Afterward, my softwarestoleall information.
You have put passcodes on the sites you visited, I intercepted all of them.
Needless to say, you can modify them, or possibly already changed them.
However it does not matter, my malware updates needed data every time.
What did I do?
I compiled a backup of every your system. Of all the files and contact lists.
I formed a dual-screen videofile. The first part displays the film that you were watching (you've got a good taste, wow...), and the second part displays the video from your webcam.
What actually should you do?
So, in my view, 1000 USD will be a realistic price for our small riddle. You'll make the deposit by bitcoins (if you don't understand this, try to find “how to buy bitcoin” in any search engine).
My bitcoin wallet address:
1Je9xULKJK191a1JV68QuMiPgHJduSpYf6
(It is cAsE sensitive, so just copy and paste it).
Attention:
You have 48 hours in order to make the payment. (I have an unique pixel to this email, and at this point I understand that you've read this email).
To tracethe reading of a letterand the activityinside it, I installeda Facebook pixel. Thanks to them. (The stuff thatis appliedfor the authorities may helpus.)

In the event I fail to get bitcoins, I shall undoubtedly direct your recording to all your contacts, such as relatives, co-workers, and so forth?

--------------------------

And what is really, and I mean REALLY funny (apart from the bad spelling and appalling grammar), is that these emails were sent while my computer was in the Apple repair shop, so if they did find someone watching online porn using my computer, it must have been the tech guys. Ha ha.

And did they find any malware on my computer? Of course not. My computer problem was a major hardware malfunction, not a software issue at all.

Sadly, most of my original computer is gone because they had to replace the screen, the top cover, the keyboard, the trackpad, the logistics board and the battery. So all I really have left is my software and files (that they backed up before they replaced everything) and the bottom cover. Thank goodness I took out an extended warranty because my computer is 2 years and one month old and the original warranty was only for 2 years. So it cost me nothing, except a long wait.

But at least I'm back in the driving seat again with my writing business because I have all my files back.

And during my off-line time, I got plenty of writing and planning done.

Oh, and by the way, now that I have my computer back I can get back to what I was working on. I'm currently in the process of changing all my published PDF ebooks to paperbacks and digital books that will only be available from brick and mortar book stores or online book stores.

So if you want to get them while they're still instantly downloadable PDF ebooks, you better be quick because by the end of March (in one month's time) they'll no longer be available in that format.

But you will be able to buy them, or order them, from any book store or library.

https://ruthiswriting.com