GUEST POST: Overcoming Writer's Block with Automatic Transcription

by Jason Kincaid

This article was originally published by Descript, and an expanded version of the article can be found here.

If you’re a writer—of books, essays, scripts, blog posts, whatever—you’re familiar with the phenomenon: the blank screen, a looming deadline, and a sinking feeling in your gut that pairs poorly with the jug of coffee you drank earlier.

If you know that rumble all too well, this post is for you. Maybe it’ll help you get out of a rut; at the very least, it’s good for a few minutes of procrastination.

Here’s the core idea: thinking out loud is often less arduous than writing. And it’s now easier than ever to combine the two, thanks to recent advances in speech recognition technology.

Of course, dictation is nothing new—and plenty of writers have taken advantage of it. Carl Sagan’s voluminous output was facilitated by his process of speaking into an audio recorder, to be transcribed later by an assistant. (You can listen to some of his dictations in the Library of Congress!) And software like Dragon’s Naturally Speaking has offered automated transcription for people with the patience and budget to pursue it.

But it’s only in the last couple of years that automated transcription has reached a sweet spot—of convenience, affordability, and accuracy—that makes it practical to use more casually. And I’ve found it increasingly useful for generating a sort of proto-first draft: an alternative approach to the painful process of converting the nebulous wisps inside your head into something you can actually work with.

I call this process idea extraction (though these ideas may be more accurately dubbed brain droppings).

Part I: Extraction

Here’s how my process works. Borrow what works for you and forget the rest—and let me know how it goes!

• Pick a voice recorder. Start talking. Try it with a topic you’ve been chewing on for weeks—or when an idea flits into your head. Don’t overthink it. Just start blabbing.

• The goal is to tug on as many threads as you come across and to follow them as far as they go. These threads may lead to meandering tangents—and you may discover new ideas along the way.

• A lot of those new ideas will probably be embarrassingly bad. That’s fine. You’re already talking about the next thing! And unlike with text, your bad ideas aren’t staring you in the face.

• Consider leaving comments to yourself as you go—e.g. “Maybe that’d work for the intro.” These will come in handy later.

• For me, these recordings run anywhere from 20–80 minutes. Sometimes they’re much shorter, in quick succession. Whatever works.

Part II: Transcription

Once I’ve finished recording, it’s time to harness ⚡️The Power of Technology⚡️

A little background: over the last couple of years, there’s been an explosion of tools related to automatic speech recognition (ASR) thanks to huge steps forward in the underlying technologies.

Here’s how ASR works: you import your audio into the software, then the software uses state-of-the-art machine learning to spit back a text transcript a few minutes later. That transcript won’t be perfect—the robots are currently in the ‘write drunk’ phase of their careers. But for our purposes, that’s fine. You just need it to be accurate enough that you can recognize your ideas.

Once you have your text transcript, your next step is up to you. Maybe you’re exporting your transcript as a Word doc and revising from there. Maybe you’re firing up your voice recorder again to dictate a more polished take. Maybe only a few words in your audio journey are worth keeping—but that’s fine, too. It probably didn’t cost you much. (And good news: the price for this tech will continue to fall in the years ahead.)

A few more tips:

• Use a recorder/app that you trust. Losing a recording is painful—and the anxiety of losing another can derail your most exciting creative moments. (“I hope this recorder is working. Good, it is... @#*! where was I?”)

• Audio quality matters when it comes to automatic transcription. If your recording has a lot of background noise or you’re speaking far away from the mic, the accuracy is going to drop. Consider using earbuds (better yet: Airpods), so you can worry less about where you’re holding the recorder.

• Find a comfortable space. Eventually you may get used to having people overhear your musings, but it’s a lot easier to let your mind “go for a walk” when you’re comfortable in your environment.

• Speaking of walking: why not go for a stroll? The pains of writing can have just as much to do with being stationary and hunched over. Walking gets your blood flowing—and your ideas, too.

• I have a lot of ideas, good and bad, while I’m thinking out loud and playing music at the same time (in my case, guitar—but I suspect it applies more broadly). There’s something about playing the same four-chord song on autopilot for the thousandth time that keeps my hands busy and leaves my mind free to wander.

The old ways of doing things—whether it’s with a keyboard or pen—still have their advantages. Putting words to a page can force a sort of linear thinking that is otherwise difficult to maintain. And when it comes to editing, it’s no contest: QWERTY or bust.

But for getting those first crucial paragraphs down (and maybe a few keystone ideas to build towards)? Consider talking to yourself. Even if you wind up with a transcript full of nothing but profanity—well, have you ever seen a transcript full of profanity? You could do a lot worse.

Self-Publishing Perspective: Eric Vance Walton

 

by

Jennifer Jett-Prezkop and Eric Vance Walton

Last week, I shared a list of 10 steps on how to self-publish your book by the end of 2017. Self-publishing is no simple task, and even as the author of the list, I admit I’m feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that lies ahead. It’s times like this when it’s important to look to those who have successfully self-published for guidance—and encouragement. If you know authors who have made self-publishing work for them, don’t be shy. Ask them about how they did it. I don’t know of any authors who don’t like to talk about their work, and the amount of knowledge you can gain from their hard-learned industry lessons will be invaluable.

One of the self-published authors I like to turn to is Eric Vance Walton, a novelist, poet, and blogger who ventured into self-publishing in 2013 with Alarm Clock Dawn, the first of his dystopian trilogy. Walton put the trilogy on hold to publish One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author in 2014 through a traditional publishing house, an experience that taught him to appreciate the freedom of self-publishing. Here he shares his journey through self-publishing and why he would do it all over again.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

EVW: Frankly, I chose self-publishing because it was my only viable choice at the time. This was in the late 90s before larger platforms like Amazon’s CreateSpace existed. Traditional publishers weren’t willing to publish me as a new author since I hadn’t already made a name for myself. Now we have many more choices, and even established authors are choosing to self-publish because they have more control of the whole process.

In the past, self-publishing had a stigma attached to it. Did this have any influence on your decision to pursue it?

EVW: In my experience, this stigma is gone for the most part. If you produce a quality book, have a great cover, and the book is marketed well, your work can be as attractive as a book from a major publishing house. I was traditionally published for the first time in 2014, and I probably wouldn’t go that route again. You can make more of a profit and have greater control self-publishing.

What is the most challenging thing about self-publishing? 

EVW: The most challenging aspect of self-publishing is you have to wear all of the hats—editing, book design, marketing, et cetera—or hire professionals. I would strongly suggest hiring an editor and professional book cover designer at the very least. Also, to ensure you recoup your investment and make a profit, you must already have a loyal readership built before you launch a book. You can do this by blogging and writing regularly on social media sites. Build a mailing list independent of social media using an app like MailChimp. Building your mailing list should be a top priority because this allows you to market directly to potential customers.

What surprised you the most about the process?

EVW: The work only just begins when you finish writing the book.

Tell us about how you marketed your novel.

EVW: I had already built a loyal readership on Facebook before I launched Alarm Clock Dawn, so I mainly marketed on my Facebook author page. I boosted a few ads to improve outreach there. I also collaborated with other bloggers, and they reviewed my book on their blog. This helped a lot.

What kind of success have you seen with Alarm Clock Dawn?

EVW: The novel had decent sales in the first few months after publication in 2013, but after this initial surge, sales plateaued. This past summer, I started releasing my novel in installments on a new social media platform called Steemit. This breathed new life into my novel and will likely give me the freedom to write full time very soon.

What advice would you give someone who wants to self-publish in 2017?

EVW: To do it effectively, I would say give yourself at least six to nine months from the time your book is done to do an effective launch. This timeframe is if you already have a loyal readership and mailing list built from blogging and writing on social media.


Thank you, Eric! If you are interested in Eric's work, you can visit his website here.

You can find Alarm Clock Dawn here,

and One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author here.

New Year's Writing Resolutions

by

Jessica Nelson



It’s an old New Year’s tradition to make a resolution for the coming year. Many people resolve to lose weight or get fit or find love or make a new career move. But we are writers, and while we may have those resolutions, we also make New Year’s resolutions about our writing. So in honor of the impending arrival of 2017 and the new beginnings it represents, I’ve compiled New Year’s Writing Resolutions from writers like you:


I am working on the two new pirate musicals (an adaptation of "Treasure Island" with a special twist and the murder mystery musical "Blackbeard's Dead Again"); a Romantic Comedy screenplay I've been hired for; co-writing a paranormal audio drama series; and adapting the The Legend of Blackbeard Tour. Also doing research for a series of historical fiction novels and an audio drama about the adventures of Angus "Quill" MacBlaquart.

~Joey Madia


I'm excited that I have more writing projects than ever before. Once my book was published, I was suddenly afraid I wouldn't have anything else to write. That turned out to be ridiculous. I found that finishing the book and seeing it published just created more space and a desire for more writing, more projects. My resolution is to write even more and it comes with more joy and a sense of "I can do this!"

 ~Cat Pleska

 

 

Finish my rewrite, snag an agent, and submit to the two editors that requested my manuscript!

~Joe Hall

 

 

1) To find a time management system that will work for me that will allow me to read more, write more and learn more while juggling my full-time job and dealing with daily life.

2) To learn as much about self-publishing as I can so I can figure out if that is the best route for me in 2017.

 

~Jennifer Jett Prezkop

 

 

- Create a regular weekly schedule to write.
- Finish my second novel and have an audiobook produced for this and my debut novel.
- Send a regular newsletter to the readers on my mailing list.
- Publish the meditation book that’s been done for six months now.
- Make more time for reading.
- Polish public speaking skills and actively pursuing speaking gigs.
- Make 2017 the year I write for a living!

 

 ~Eric Vance Walton

 

 

My resolution for 2017: I resolve to be more productive in 2017. How? By erasing the time-wasters--the distractions. I'm pretty sure I could've written a novel or two (okay, at least a darned good short story) during the amount of time I've spent visiting Facebook (and I GREATLY limit my Facebook time now); clicking on emails that link to ads for exciting new products or spew opinion on politics, religion, sports, you-name-it; and browsing through blogs and Internet stories. So, my resolution is to limit all such browsing and socializing and gawking to Sunday afternoons. Of course, I will continue to follow those blogs that give me fresh perspective on my writing life and I will continue to do research as necessary. It's the flashing ads and links to which I want to "just say no." If while doing valid research or professional study I find something unrelated that is just too compelling to ignore, I will copy the link and put it in my "Sunday Browsing File." There are so many, many distractions in our lives, and if we could find a way to control them, we'd be much more productive both in getting our work done and in exercising our creativity. This is a way I can reclaim squandered time. So be it.

 

~Sandy Tritt

 

 

I’m going to finish a story. That may seem obvious, but I’m terrible about starting a dozen stories and never finishing them. Sometimes it’s because I hit a scene that just won’t work the way I need it to, so I walk away for a while and never come back. Sometimes the passion for the story just fades out. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the amount of work a story will take to complete so I just never work on it. But in 2017 I will finish at least one of the stories I have started. (And hopefully get one published, too!)

~Jessica Nelson

 

I want to submit at least 10 short stories to 10 Literary Magazines in 2017. I want to complete my book of essays by year's end. I also want to continue thinking about creating an interesting writing blog and finally having a social media presence. Go on a writing retreat somewhere interesting. 

 

~Vicki Crawford

 

 

Since I have proven that I cannot commit to writing every day (outside of work), I am going to shoot for once a week. My ultimate goal is to have a rough draft manuscript finished by the end of 2017. 

Another goal of mine is to read more this year. I think I finished five books total in 2016, which is pathetic. Haha. I hope this will help inspire my writing.

~Samantha Cart

 

 

To finally get back in the habit of writing for fun and not just for class.

 

~Abby Hall

 

 

I finished a fiction thriller manuscript featuring Cleveland Police Dept. Homicide detective titled "Code for Murder." I'm now working on a sequel to "Fragile Brilliance" which I hope to have finished by the end of the summer.

 

~Eliot Parker

 

My New Years writing resolution is to practice writing short stories--I always write poetry or novels. I want to try to expand my horizons.

 

~Stacy Chrise-Tritt

 

 

 

Whatever your New Year’s resolution—writing related or not—we at Inspiration for Writers, Inc. wish you a happy and successful 2017. If you need help making your writing resolution a reality, you can always find us at our website, our Facebook page, or email us at ifweditor@gmail.com. Happy New Year!

Not Your Normal Thanksgiving Blog

by

Sandy Tritt

When Thanksgiving rolls around, we’re reminded to be grateful for all the joys in our lives. We list the things we’re grateful for, such as family, friends, health, career, home, and so forth. But then I got to thinking about the things I usually leave off my list—things that have happened over the years that have been painful. It’s hard to be grateful for a heart broken by young love. It’s hard to be grateful for losing a friend over a misunderstanding. It’s hard to be grateful for the death of a loved one, especially when that loved one is still young and vibrant. It’s hard to be grateful for seeing your child suffer. It’s hard to be grateful for tough times that force sacrifice and create fear.

And yet, it is usually the unpleasant items on our lists that forge us into the human beings we are and that make us better people—and better writers. It’s hard to understand the depth of love, anger, fear, shame, frustration, embarrassment, and desperation unless we’ve experienced it. It’s hard to create characters who experience strong emotions and go through difficult times unless we’ve been there ourselves. It’s hard to have empathy for others—both human and imaginary—unless we’ve felt the burn of shame, the ache of loss, the frustration of a bad break.

My father once stated that he was happy he’d been able to serve in World War II. Expecting a patriotic lecture, I asked him why. He said he’d never been out of our little Podunk town in West Virginia—never traveled, never seen any of the world. Being assigned to the Army Air Division (which later became the Air Force), he traveled to Florida and Indiana before being sent to Europe, where he saw much of France, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and the Philippines. He met many interesting people and witnessed history in the making. Even though he suffered horrific things that he was never able to speak about, and even though he lost his hearing from a too-close blast that should have killed him, he was grateful for the experience that allowed him to grow as a person.

So, this Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the tough times I’ve been through. No, I’m not courting more calamity and I don’t want to relive unpleasant experiences. There are many I’d definitely rather undo than still live with the consequences. Yet, these are the experiences that have formed me into the person I’ve become and that have set me free to breathe life and truth into my characters. 

I challenge writers this Thanksgiving season to make your own list of misadventures, heartbreaks, and calamities. What did you learn from each experience? How can they help you better understand your characters? How can you use what you’ve learned to shape your characters?

Be grateful for each day, whether good or bad.

Happy Thanksgiving!