My best friend is my digital voice recorder. This tool has significantly increased my productivity as a freelance writer.
I used to have an old-fashioned tape recorder but got a digital voice recorders as a Christmas gift last year. The beauty of these little machines are that they are small enough that it fits into my back pocket and can carry it at all times. When at conferences I’ve even started wearing it around my neck, which is totally geeky, but hey, it works.
DVR’s are convenient and simple to use. Here are a few ways I use mine:
- Record Interviews-these little marvels can catch and record every spoken word. No more guesswork. They also have headphone attachments so if you don’t have voice recognition software and you’re transcribing you don’t have to drive everyone in your family crazy when you play a selected passage over and over again.
- Capture that great idea for the next best-selling novel, which usually happens when you’re driving or you dream about it and wake up in the night but have forgotten to set a notebook and pen beside the bed. This means you have to keep the DVR by your bed at night.
- Multi Tasking. Stuck in traffic? Dictate your new novel. Stuck at the doctor’s office waiting for your appointment? You can dictate your novel but make sure people can see your DVR otherwise they’ll think you’re in the office for something other than a head cold.
- Recall. If something is happening in front of you, describe it in detail. You’ll find that not only do you capture the minutae but listening to the event later will help bring back other memories clearly too.
- Record your grocery list, driving directions, things to do. DVR’s are just handy to help keep you organized and on time.
- Use a DVR in combination with Voice Recognition software & life will never be the same. More on that topic another time.
DVR’s range in price range from $39.00-$200. Choosing the right recorder for your needs depends on how much storage time you require; there are also different file types and formats to decided upon. Check out Epinions for reviews of individual brands and types.
http://www.epinions.com/Voice_Recorders_and_Transcribers
By John Smith, Freelance Writer & Author, Fed Member
Website: http://www.johnsmithdummy.com
Blog: http://www.johnsmithsadvicecolumn.com
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