I found a solution to my typos!

[LucilleCF]

After reading over my two published stories and crying about the obvious mistakes that I missed (I think I'm a little dyslexic), I went on google looking for advice on how to spot typos.

... and found nothing I wasn't already doing.

But I had a great idea when I came across the fifth mention of 'read your shit aloud'.
Text to speech software!!!

I don't like reading my stories aloud because 1) it's tiring and 2) there is a possibility that I might be overheard, which would be undesirable for obvious reasons.

That's why this site is awesome: naturalreaders

It's free and the voices sound pretty realistic (at least 'US - Sharon' does). Now I can listen to and read along with my stories to more easily catch mistakes.

Anyway, just wanted to share my discovery with anyone who might have the same problem.

Three cheers for no more typos! (hopefully...)

 

[LucilleCF]

*sigh*

Well, the site is still good for my purposes, but I just found out that there is a limit (20 mins) to how long you can use the realistic sounding voices. After that you have to settle for more robotic sounding ones.

 

[HectorBidon]

You can also hear your text spoken pretty well on Google Translate. You can only paste in a couple paragraphs at a time, but I don't think there is any overall time limit. I use it sometimes, not only for typos, but to catch repeated words, clunky dialog, clunky narration, and just clunkiness in general.

 

[Hypoxia]

Kewl idea but I include HTML tags and many non-Anglish words and strings in my texts. I doubt text-to-speech would render Qiché or Hopi talk very well. And I'm almost deaf; everything would probably sound wrong. Luckily, most readers don't seem to notice or care about my typological fuckups; I'm rarely chided. Whew.

 

[TxRad]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked. Then she read the first few paragraphs, slapped me in the face with the story, and stormed off. I hope that wasn't a critique of the story or my typing.

I'm also banned from the library now so....

 

[clistenovena]

Three cheers for no more typos! (hopefully...)

No typos!!

 

[Hypoxia]

No typos!!

They're everywhere. Worse, too. I just re-read a classic SciFi novel reprinted many times since 1951 whose proofreaders repeatedly missed obvious goofs. Of course a plain typo that lasts decades becomes canonical, official. Isn't 'nucular' in our vocabulary now?

 

[GuessImJamie]

They're everywhere. Worse, too. I just re-read a classic SciFi novel reprinted many times since 1951 whose proofreaders repeatedly missed obvious goofs. Of course a plain typo that lasts decades becomes canonical, official. Isn't 'nucular' in our vocabulary now?

Relax.

Two thousand years from now textual critics will use your uncorrected typos to date electronic copies of your work to determine their authenticity and to separate the real deal from the many later emulators of your prose.

Errors in a manuscript are invaluable in determining what got changed and when.

 

[SweetWitch]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked. Then she read the first few paragraphs, slapped me in the face with the story, and stormed off. I hope that wasn't a critique of the story or my typing.

I'm also banned from the library now so....

Naughty

 

[clistenovena]

They're everywhere. Worse, too. I just re-read a classic SciFi novel reprinted many times since 1951 whose proofreaders repeatedly missed obvious goofs. Of course a plain typo that lasts decades becomes canonical, official. Isn't 'nucular' in our vocabulary now?

My literate soul is begging for the pain to end.

 

[clistenovena]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked. Then she read the first few paragraphs, slapped me in the face with the story, and stormed off. I hope that wasn't a critique of the story or my typing.

I'm also banned from the library now so....

Some light just entered the typo hell I was in.

 

[Bramblethorn]

*sigh*

Well, the site is still good for my purposes, but I just found out that there is a limit (20 mins) to how long you can use the realistic sounding voices. After that you have to settle for more robotic sounding ones.

Looks like you can get unlimited use for $10/month or $60/year though.

 

[TxRad]

Naughty

You know me so well.

My literate soul is begging for the pain to end.

Glad to be of service. Care to read to me? Clothing is optional.

 

[NoJo]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked. Then she read the first few paragraphs, slapped me in the face with the story, and stormed off. I hope that wasn't a critique of the story or my typing.

I'm also banned from the library now so....

Well at least you got a plot bunny out of it

 

[Tio_Narratore]

During my forty-five years of teaching, I always recommended that my students proofread their papers out loud, assuring them that they would catch at least 95% of their errors - typographical, syntactic, and semantic. Those who did take my advice invariably came back to thank me for the suggestion.

 

[GuessImJamie]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked. Then she read the first few paragraphs, slapped me in the face with the story, and stormed off. I hope that wasn't a critique of the story or my typing.

I'm also banned from the library now so....

But did you get her phone number?

 

[TxRad]

But did you get her phone number?

The only number I got from her was one finger pointed straight up. I'll let you guess which finger.

NoJo, I've got so many plot bunnies from that library they have their own zip code.

 

[ishtat]

I tried to talk the young lady at the library into reading my stories to me but she drew the line at doing it naked.

Tx. Are you sure your 'nom de plume' isn't George? Because this song might just be about you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe3Y9zLEPBQ