Big step for me! Need suggestions!
 

I have decided to go back to writing after a three-year hiatus. I'm in the middle of a setback with my eyes, so this makes things complicated. I feel I have a very strong idea for a book that I could get published and now I have to figure out how to do the least damage to my eyes and my recovery.

I am completely unable to use the computer and seriously may be for many many months to come. I also have a hard time just writing by hand, because doing any kind of reading causes me to have eye pain. Talking into a recorder is not the best option, as I just have a very hard time creating this way.

The only ideas I can think of are trying to write by hand or type on a typewriter with my eyes closed, which seems next to impossible, especially as my handwriting is bad to begin with and my typing skills are pretty poor. Does anyone know of any technology that might be the help me? Any other suggestions? I'm so excited by the idea of writing again--I have to find a way to make it work!

Consider speech recognition software such as Dragon. You will probalby need someone to proofread and correct, but this would allow your ideas fo flow and capture them in written form.

DFayesMom,

If you are using a Windows based computer. there is already a decent Speech Recognition software in your system. Go to Start...Programs.... Accessories......Ease of Access (Accessibility)...... Windows Speech Recognition. It will take some effort to get started as you teach the computer to understand your voice. I have used it and it works well. If you do speech into MSWord with auto-correct, it can make the process very good.

You can also set your screen to magnify text/images and to narrate/read text for you.

I have wanted to write a book based on my signature verse. I just know it is biting off a big piece. Good for you as you take on this project.

My best to you.

The apple products with the new operating system (mountain lion?) have an AMAZING voice recognition system built into every application. The microphone icon is on the keyboard.
I understand that this is not your best way, but I have found it VERY useful in getting key ideas down quickly, which I hope can be refined and editted when I feel better.

If i don't record the idea (which I think is brilliant at the time ;) , I forget it!!! (brain injury!!!(
I would encourage you to try this....an ipad or ipod or small mac computer if you can find the resources. For me it works better than Dragan dictation. Rarely misses a word.

Great that your ideas are flowing!!! There is hope.

iPhone
 

I could use my iPhone's voice to text function, but it's annoyingly inaccurate at times. If I speak very slowly it seems better, but sometimes it just doesn't get the word I'm trying to say. For instance, I was just trying To get it to write the word eliminated, and no matter how many different ways I tried to say it, it did not come up with the right word. My concern is I don't want to be constantly reading back, and I'm afraid it could get things so wrong that I wouldn't be able to figure out what I'd been trying to say when I go back at a later date. Maybe it would work better if I spoke more slowly?