Methods to use dictation to put your thoughts on paper include using a typist to transcribe your dictation and using speech-to-text software
Dictating to a secretary who writes down your thoughts in shorthand used to be practiced in many business offices. It really isn't a viable writing method and is just stated for historical purposes
Another dictation method is to speak into a tape recorder and then have a typist transcribe the material into text. You may be your own typist or use a professional transcriber or secretary to do the typing. This method has been used for years in the business community for writing memos and letters
Writer Earle Stanley Gardner, who originated and wrote the Perry Mason series of books, dictated a major portion of his material. The story goes to that Gardner originally wrote his stories on a manual typewriter until his fingers bled. Seeking a better method, he turned to dictating the stories into a tape recorder and having secretaries transcribe the material into print. At one time he had nine secretaries transcribing at one time. He was a very prolific writer
The modern method is to use speech recognition or speech-to-text software that allows a you to dictate directly into a microphone that is attached to your computer. The material is then automatically translated into text in a word processor. It is done with reasonable accuracy, and if something doesn't look right, you can easily delete it with a verbal command and correct it or start over