I consider voice notes to be a good trickster move if you are finding that you’re getting blocked. I walk and talk ideas out that are shy to appear on my page and voice notes can give me the shape of something to begin to work with.
Good luck with your cover art quest. I would love to make covers, so much fun ♥️
I use voice memo (Apple) while paddling a canoe, to record observations, especially during windy conditions on the water. My phone is zippered into my life vest’s front pocket, and is hands-free accessible. Voice recording is helpful for describing color, sound, odors, shapes, etc. Later, I listen to recorded observations and edit them when writing about the day’s paddle in my journal.
Imagine paddling on a windy day, and all at once, trying to hold on to a hat (that’s what chinstraps are for), write observations into a journal and manage a canoe’s path around a strainer or a rock. It wouldn’t be easy (or safe) but wanting to capture the moment.
Voice memo helps me remember emotions along with visual details without breaking any very basic rules for safe paddling. The three (very) basic rules are:
I've been walking and dictating for some time now. I find it frees me in ways writing with pen and pad does not. There's an app called Just Press Record that I like because you end up with the recording and a transcript so you can go back and listen when the transcript isn't accurate. When I use the Iphone dictation, it makes mistakes which are sometimes lost to the ether when I go back to review ... which is always wrenching .
Voice-to-text has saved me many times. I have a form of dyslexia that causes me to mistype every other word, no matter how hard I try not to. I mainly use Grammarly. It can integrate into Word and Chrome and across other platforms, is customizable, and is the best I found. However, you must check what they correct in your writing, as they are set up for business writing more than creative, and will strip all the creativity right out of your story if you don't recheck whatever they corrected.
There are good phone apps too that transcribe your voice directly to a custom text document. I don't like Word's editor; it is too clumsy and not set up intuitively.
Catt -I have the same issue with typos, especially when typing on my phone. To make things even more challenging, I'm so focused on what I'm thinking and want to say that I miss the typos because I'm seeing what I'm thinking - not what's there on the screen. It's really frustrating!!!!
Typing on my phone is another activity I haven't done in five years. I talk ALL my texts on Textra or WhatsApp, and I never have to type a single word. Love it. The only thing I have to watch is speech-to-text misunderstanding my accent and typing the wrong word. I speak my emails now, too, everything that I can.
First, Janisse, do what you think is best for YOU in terms of time and energy for combining (or not) your substacks. I bet most of us will follow whatever paths you take. Second, I don't use recording the way folks are describing here. I use the record feature on my phone in two ways: one, I make verbal notes when I need to remember something or have an idea and don't have pen and paper handy (sitting at traffic lights, for example). The second way I use the record feature is to record something AFTER I've written it. I'm such an auditory learner/teacher/writer, that I need to hear the words I've written to ensure they make sense, are in the right cadence, the right "voice." Luddite that I am, that is as far as I'm heading down the technology/AI rabbit hole.
Using voice to text is interesting; I had never thought of it! I guess I am still in the dark ages of pen and paper, then keyboard😂! Thank you for all the resources related to it. Also, I will keep and eye out for The Understory and if I will need to subscribe to it. I certainly do not want to miss out!
I think I might have mentioned before that both Jim and I have used Miblart.com for our book covers -- one for me, seven for him -- with (IMO) outstanding results. They are so great to work with. It's a team of people living and working in Ukraine, and it feels so good to give them business. Plus, their prices are amazing. Highly recommend them!
I'm a big fan of voice to text, especially for transcribing notes. I feel it helps me better remember the conversation, and I truly believe, makes it easier for me to write the piece.
Talk-to-text is a great aid in recording comments and observations by people or interviewees, especially those who have low vision, do not write due to illness or infirmity, or are not literate. It’s also a useful tool to help teach literacy to those who’ve already accommodated to phones. Good luck!👍
I talk over my ideas and thoughts aloud to myself at times, usually at night while sitting on the deck listening to the stream, looking at stars. I believe I will try it for this or for communicating because I’m a slow one-finger texter. Although I want to be careful with the communication because my first thoughts are not always my best thoughts. Still, when I’m meandering around my mind at night, or wanting to record a dream before I go back to sleep and forget it, voice to text seems appropriate.
That said, writing itself is something I do with and through my body. For me, it is a mind-body-soul experience and thats how I benefit from it most. I also think that’s how my readers will benefit from it most. My best pieces begin hand written with pen and notebook paper. Everyone is different, but I have always encouraged beginning writers to begin there, with the hand gripping a pen pressed to paper.
Hi Janisse - I use Otter and over time it's become a file cabinet for a variety of writing topics. I don't know that it's the best transcription software, but it's what I know. I have the paid version, which costs about $200 annually.
I use Otter three ways.
The first is to capture ideas that bubble up when I'm not in a position to sit down and type or write with pen and paper. The Otter App is on my phone, BTW.
Second, I use it to dictate stories and content for one of my writing projects when I'm on a road trip, once again on my phone.
The third involves using Otter to transcribe (type) what I've written by hand in my morning journal and I cau ue my phone or laptop to do this.
When I sit down to write first thing each day I never know exactly what I'll focus on and my practice is to use that time to let the muse dictate the topic. It could be an essay or short story or a scene from a book or a marketing plan. I have one "leather" (maybe pleather?) journal I write in until it's full (I have several by now, all numbered and dated), so the topics vary. There is no one journal that I use for the book I'm writing on the Paris Left Bank, for example, or a separate journal for short stories. They all share the same home in my morning journal.
When I am done writing a morning entry, I number the pages, and log that entry's topic into an index in the back of that journal. Later, when I am working (for example) on my book, I'll go through the journal looking for excerpts and dictate what I find into Otter, then send the typed version to myself by email, and then transfer it as a word doc into the book outline.
I’ve used dictation in word to get handwritten work into a document. Having to say the punctuation is a little annoying, but it works. I think if I had a nice book holder, I’d just type it in. It would be faster for me.
I love the idea of voice to text for writing and have considered it in the past but didn't really know what app to use. Writing down everyone's suggestions because I think it would be really great for shorter essays. I'm not sure I could do it for a longer book.
In my paid work we record hundreds of interviews and use Rev to transcribe them. We used to use their human transcription option, but after testing the AI on & off over the years, we now use that and then someone on our team verifies it. The AI is very affordable and it's very accurate (over 90%)--mainly has some difficulties with strong accents (especially my WV one!).
The endorsement of your book in the last piece is priceless.
I consider voice notes to be a good trickster move if you are finding that you’re getting blocked. I walk and talk ideas out that are shy to appear on my page and voice notes can give me the shape of something to begin to work with.
Good luck with your cover art quest. I would love to make covers, so much fun ♥️
I use voice memo (Apple) while paddling a canoe, to record observations, especially during windy conditions on the water. My phone is zippered into my life vest’s front pocket, and is hands-free accessible. Voice recording is helpful for describing color, sound, odors, shapes, etc. Later, I listen to recorded observations and edit them when writing about the day’s paddle in my journal.
Imagine paddling on a windy day, and all at once, trying to hold on to a hat (that’s what chinstraps are for), write observations into a journal and manage a canoe’s path around a strainer or a rock. It wouldn’t be easy (or safe) but wanting to capture the moment.
Voice memo helps me remember emotions along with visual details without breaking any very basic rules for safe paddling. The three (very) basic rules are:
Keep the Boat in the Water.
Keep the Water Out of the Boat.
Stay in the Boat.
So cool, Mark!
I've been walking and dictating for some time now. I find it frees me in ways writing with pen and pad does not. There's an app called Just Press Record that I like because you end up with the recording and a transcript so you can go back and listen when the transcript isn't accurate. When I use the Iphone dictation, it makes mistakes which are sometimes lost to the ether when I go back to review ... which is always wrenching .
Just Press Record sounds useful. I am going to give it a look. Does the icon look like the reverse of the Target store logo? Thank you!
Voice-to-text has saved me many times. I have a form of dyslexia that causes me to mistype every other word, no matter how hard I try not to. I mainly use Grammarly. It can integrate into Word and Chrome and across other platforms, is customizable, and is the best I found. However, you must check what they correct in your writing, as they are set up for business writing more than creative, and will strip all the creativity right out of your story if you don't recheck whatever they corrected.
There are good phone apps too that transcribe your voice directly to a custom text document. I don't like Word's editor; it is too clumsy and not set up intuitively.
Catt -I have the same issue with typos, especially when typing on my phone. To make things even more challenging, I'm so focused on what I'm thinking and want to say that I miss the typos because I'm seeing what I'm thinking - not what's there on the screen. It's really frustrating!!!!
Typing on my phone is another activity I haven't done in five years. I talk ALL my texts on Textra or WhatsApp, and I never have to type a single word. Love it. The only thing I have to watch is speech-to-text misunderstanding my accent and typing the wrong word. I speak my emails now, too, everything that I can.
First, Janisse, do what you think is best for YOU in terms of time and energy for combining (or not) your substacks. I bet most of us will follow whatever paths you take. Second, I don't use recording the way folks are describing here. I use the record feature on my phone in two ways: one, I make verbal notes when I need to remember something or have an idea and don't have pen and paper handy (sitting at traffic lights, for example). The second way I use the record feature is to record something AFTER I've written it. I'm such an auditory learner/teacher/writer, that I need to hear the words I've written to ensure they make sense, are in the right cadence, the right "voice." Luddite that I am, that is as far as I'm heading down the technology/AI rabbit hole.
Using voice to text is interesting; I had never thought of it! I guess I am still in the dark ages of pen and paper, then keyboard😂! Thank you for all the resources related to it. Also, I will keep and eye out for The Understory and if I will need to subscribe to it. I certainly do not want to miss out!
I think I might have mentioned before that both Jim and I have used Miblart.com for our book covers -- one for me, seven for him -- with (IMO) outstanding results. They are so great to work with. It's a team of people living and working in Ukraine, and it feels so good to give them business. Plus, their prices are amazing. Highly recommend them!
That's good to know! I'm looking for an artist to help me create gtaphics for a book - I'll check them out.
I'm a big fan of voice to text, especially for transcribing notes. I feel it helps me better remember the conversation, and I truly believe, makes it easier for me to write the piece.
Here’s a link to Holly Harris, a graphic designer in the DC area with a passion for story. Highly recommended:
https://holly-harris-comms-portfolio.squarespace.com/designDesign — holly elizabeth harris
Talk-to-text is a great aid in recording comments and observations by people or interviewees, especially those who have low vision, do not write due to illness or infirmity, or are not literate. It’s also a useful tool to help teach literacy to those who’ve already accommodated to phones. Good luck!👍
I talk over my ideas and thoughts aloud to myself at times, usually at night while sitting on the deck listening to the stream, looking at stars. I believe I will try it for this or for communicating because I’m a slow one-finger texter. Although I want to be careful with the communication because my first thoughts are not always my best thoughts. Still, when I’m meandering around my mind at night, or wanting to record a dream before I go back to sleep and forget it, voice to text seems appropriate.
That said, writing itself is something I do with and through my body. For me, it is a mind-body-soul experience and thats how I benefit from it most. I also think that’s how my readers will benefit from it most. My best pieces begin hand written with pen and notebook paper. Everyone is different, but I have always encouraged beginning writers to begin there, with the hand gripping a pen pressed to paper.
Hi Janisse - I use Otter and over time it's become a file cabinet for a variety of writing topics. I don't know that it's the best transcription software, but it's what I know. I have the paid version, which costs about $200 annually.
I use Otter three ways.
The first is to capture ideas that bubble up when I'm not in a position to sit down and type or write with pen and paper. The Otter App is on my phone, BTW.
Second, I use it to dictate stories and content for one of my writing projects when I'm on a road trip, once again on my phone.
The third involves using Otter to transcribe (type) what I've written by hand in my morning journal and I cau ue my phone or laptop to do this.
When I sit down to write first thing each day I never know exactly what I'll focus on and my practice is to use that time to let the muse dictate the topic. It could be an essay or short story or a scene from a book or a marketing plan. I have one "leather" (maybe pleather?) journal I write in until it's full (I have several by now, all numbered and dated), so the topics vary. There is no one journal that I use for the book I'm writing on the Paris Left Bank, for example, or a separate journal for short stories. They all share the same home in my morning journal.
When I am done writing a morning entry, I number the pages, and log that entry's topic into an index in the back of that journal. Later, when I am working (for example) on my book, I'll go through the journal looking for excerpts and dictate what I find into Otter, then send the typed version to myself by email, and then transfer it as a word doc into the book outline.
I’ve used dictation in word to get handwritten work into a document. Having to say the punctuation is a little annoying, but it works. I think if I had a nice book holder, I’d just type it in. It would be faster for me.
I love the idea of voice to text for writing and have considered it in the past but didn't really know what app to use. Writing down everyone's suggestions because I think it would be really great for shorter essays. I'm not sure I could do it for a longer book.
In my paid work we record hundreds of interviews and use Rev to transcribe them. We used to use their human transcription option, but after testing the AI on & off over the years, we now use that and then someone on our team verifies it. The AI is very affordable and it's very accurate (over 90%)--mainly has some difficulties with strong accents (especially my WV one!).