I've been using TTS (Text-to-speech) software recently to have the computer read back my material to me. I find it works quite well to catch errors and to hear if the flow of the writing is sound or not. Reading out loud to myself helps as well, but somehow I feel TTS is a bit better because it's completely agnostic to how your text should be read. Anyone else ever used text-to-speech software to proof "hear" their writing? If so, which software did you use?
I use a variety of tricks in editing. After I have it as well edited as I can, I change the margins and print out a double spaced copy, for two reasons: • By changing the position of the words on the page I'm forced to read what's actually there instead of what I expect to see. • I can't explain why, I read differently on the printed page from the screen. Things that I can't see on screen seem to jump out at me on the page. When I'm pretty satisfied, I use text to speech. It helps in several ways: • Aloud, it reads more slowly, and that gives me time to think about a given line, and how it fits the narrative, more easily. In effect, I'm editing line by line again. • It helps show the spots where reader doesn't "pronounce it trippingly on the tongue."
I do it all the time. I just upload the e-book version of the story onto my Kindle and listen to it read the text to me. It can also be amusing when you're using words the Kindle doesn't understand.
I use natural reader. If you can live with the windows voices it's free to use. I find Hanzel's voice agreeable. However, I use this more for having books read to me since you can increase the speed. This allows me to do other things such as post here while it's going on.
It sounds like a good idea. I wish there were some valid alternatives in my language too, but I think they are originally in english so the pronounce, I've heard people say, isn't the best. But one day I might give them a try. Until then I guess I'll have to stick to my own voice reading aloud...
I've tried this before and found it to be pretty useless really. Hearing everything read by a monotonous robot with bad pacing and who says half the words wrong... I just don't find it to help me with anything.
The computer voices have come a long way. While they may mispronounce made-up words, they work well for everything else.
Hey! I have used this to proofread my stories as well. I like to see it in another perspective in a way. On Mac's the text to speech comes standard and the voice they use is not that bad at all.