Text to Speech Comprehension

[Voyeurkenneth]

For me, a text-to-speech (TTS) reader has been my lifesaver in terms of proofreading and editing.

I do wonder though whether it can subtly affect a reader's perception of story elements. Take dialogue for example. I notice I use a lot of "Um" and [insert character's name, then comma] at the start of a dialogue line. When I listen back on a TTS, it sounds good to me, natural. However, when I manually re-read it, I find it can sometimes sound redundant and awkward.

Wondering if others have had similar observations or insights.

P.S. I use the Mac's native TTS since it's so convenient to trigger with a hot key. Is there one out there though that best translates ellipses (...) into a natural pause in dialogue.

 

[Euphony]

Realistic dialog rings true to your ears but doesn't always play well with the page.

Writing is a lens on a "real" life but not actual real life. We're sharing a medium where suspension of disbelief is a must. We achieve this through drama, not perfected realism.



What you want is the "ring of truth" not real life. It lets the reader understand (and maybe self-identify, if that's your goal) with the rules of your world. They want to check that necessary box so they can move on the real siren's song, answering the Why? question. Why is this story worth telling? (overarching) And all the cascading questions you bloom in their mind to keep them ever chasing your narrative until its end.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I do wonder though whether it can subtly affect a reader's perception of story elements. Take dialogue for example. I notice I use a lot of "Um" and [insert character's name, then comma] at the start of a dialogue line. When I listen back on a TTS, it sounds good to me, natural. However, when I manually re-read it, I find it can sometimes sound redundant and awkward.

Wondering if others have had similar observations or insights.

I reckon you can establish a speech mannerism (um, is a good example) with only a couple of uses, then use a very light touch until readers... ah, get the drift. You don't need to hammer it in. Readers are clever, like that.