The Windows dictation tool every writer should try

The useful part

Whether it's getting my braindumps down on paper, sending email replies, or just simply writing out an article, I can verbally communicate my ideas faster than I can type them. Windows Voice Typing will pop up and start using your microphone to dictate. All you need is an internet connection and a working microphone for it to work.

How it works

• Say "comma," "period," "question mark," or "exclamation mark," and Windows will add the matching symbol.
• Voice Typing can handle pretty much every other symbol too, and commands such as "delete that" or "select that" can help streamline editing.
• Times when you need to dictate the rough draft of an email or capture your stream of consciousness notes.
• Staring at a blank page is intimidating and makes it easy to overthink every sentence.

Details worth keeping

I write for a living and honestly, the process of typing is my bottleneck. Luckily, Windows has a handy dictation tool built right in. Speak like you normally would, and Windows will turn your words into text.