Just came across this from freewriter.com and it has a function i've not seen in other software (if there are others like this, let me know, id like to try them out) and that is a read back option. It does it in a computerised voice which doesn't always get the punctuation or rythmn right, but that's really easy to over look if you just do it for short bursts, having it read back a paragraph for example. It's brilliant. I think a big prblem that a lot of people have, a certainly a massive problem for me, is that you write something, re-read it and it just doesn't come across that great and that puts you off continuing, but using this read back system, for me at least, it really gives you a sense of whether or not what you have written sounds right. It's also great for editting. A lot of time I listen and think, i can take that out, or I should put something else in there. Then you re listen, find that it sounds good, and that encourages you to carry on writing. I think I just found the solution to my biggest obstacle. The software is free, but you need to upgrade to proffesional version for the read back option. This is also free, you just have to give them an e-mail address.
Unless I misunderstand how it works, I just want to mention that macOS has such a function built in... you just have to select what you want to be read. Works everywhere. Though probably has to be turned on under the Accessibility settings, though if it is, I have done that so long ago that I forgot if I had to do it, or if it was always there in the right-/Ctrl-Click menu. I thought Windows has such a function, too. Might be hidden somewhere. ETA: Googling tells me it's called Narrator on Windows. There are videos to tell you how to use it, so maybe it's a tad more complicated than on macOS. ETA2: I have watched a some video, and it seems that the Windows Narrator is more akin to macOS's VoiceOver feature, which enables audio for using the system. Which is not the same as the text-to-speech-on-demand which I meant above.
Freewriter also has a speech to text option. I dont have a mic on my PC so i've not tried it but that could be an interesting option as well.
