Hear Me Out

I’ve always believed that stories aren’t just written—they’re heard. There’s a rhythm to language, a cadence that reveals itself only when the words leap off the page and fill the air. That’s why, as I’ve been editing my first novel, I’ve relied on an old trick: reading my manuscript out loud. But there’s a catch. When I’m the one doing the reading, I lose the ability to truly listen. My attention splinters, caught between writer and reader, creator and critic.

That frustration sparked an idea. What if there were a way to hear my words read aloud without having to be the voice behind them? Better yet, what if the voice could still feel personal—familiar enough to sound like me but distant enough to let me experience the story as if it were someone else’s?

So, I did what any curious storyteller with a love of technology might do: I built an app.

“Say My Words” began as a playful experiment at the intersection of creativity and innovation. Its purpose is simple: to take any text I write, process it through an AI-powered voice synthesizer, and play it back to me using a digital clone of my voice. In building it, I wasn’t just solving a problem—I was creating a tool that could transform how I edit, share, and even experience my work.

The Spark That Built the App

“Say My Words” wasn’t born in a lab or a startup incubator. It emerged in the quiet hours of a morning spent editing—hours where I realized I needed a way to step back from my own voice to hear my story anew. For a writer, this kind of distance is invaluable. It’s the difference between seeing your work as a creator and experiencing it as a reader.

But building the app wasn’t just about solving a technical problem. It was about exploring what’s possible when creativity meets technology. As someone who finds joy in tinkering with new tools, I saw this as an opportunity to play—to see what could happen when I handed over the coding to an AI-driven platform and focused instead on imagining what the app could do.

Using V0.dev, a platform that turns ideas into apps with just a few prompts, I had a working framework for “Say My Words” within minutes. I connected it to ElevenLabs, an AI-powered voice synthesis tool, and uploaded a recording of my own voice. Moments later, I was listening to my novel read back to me in tones so familiar it was uncanny.

Hearing my words in a voice that wasn’t quite mine but unmistakably mine was a surreal experience. It was as if my story had come alive in a new way, breathing through a narrator who could never get tired, stumble over a sentence, or lose focus. For the first time, I could hear every rhythm, pause, and turn of phrase without the distraction of being the one speaking.

Technology as a Creative Equalizer

What struck me most while building “Say My Words” wasn’t just how well the app worked but how easily it came together. For years, creating something like this would have required deep technical expertise—a knowledge of programming languages, APIs, and software development frameworks. Now, tools like these make creation accessible to anyone with an idea. Instead of getting bogged down by technical details, we’re free to experiment, iterate, and dream bigger.

What struck me most while building ‘Say My Words’ wasn’t just how well the app worked but how easily it came together. Tools like these make creation accessible to anyone with an idea.

This shift feels revolutionary. “Say My Words” is a small example of what’s possible when technology acts as a partner in creativity. It’s a tool that doesn’t just support my writing process but enhances it, allowing me to engage with my work in ways that weren’t feasible before. Beyond that, it opens the door for other creators—writers, editors, educators—to imagine how this kind of voice synthesis could transform their own projects.

Listening to the Stories We Tell

At its heart, “Say My Words” isn’t just an app—it’s an experiment in rediscovering what it means to tell a story. There’s something deeply human about hearing our words spoken aloud, about the way language takes on new dimensions when it’s carried by a voice. For me, this app has been a bridge—a way to step back from my writing and listen, really listen, to the rhythm of my own words.

But this story began long before I imagined an app like this. In 1982, as a computer science undergraduate, I built a voice recognition system that could understand about 20 words—a marvel at the time. Back then, I felt like I was standing at the frontier of a brave new world, where technology could open doors to infinite possibilities. But as the pace of innovation accelerated, my career shifted toward management and leadership, and I found myself stepping back from hands-on creation. I believed those doors were closed to me, that I was now an observer rather than a participant in the cutting edge of technology.

I believed those doors were closed to me, that I was now an observer rather than a participant in the cutting edge of technology. This app, however, changed that.

This app, however, changed that. Using tools like V0.dev and ElevenLabs has rekindled the creativity I felt all those years ago, giving me the power to turn ideas into reality with a few clicks and a clear vision. The excitement I once felt as a student—seeing how technology could bring the impossible within reach—has come full circle. Now, I’m not just observing innovation; I’m shaping it, creating tools that bring my stories to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined back then.

As I look ahead, I’m excited by the possibilities this app has unlocked. It’s proof that the creative spark never truly fades—it just waits for the right moment to reignite.

So, what stories are you waiting to hear? And what might you discover by giving them a voice?