by Melanie Anne Phillips
creator StoryWeaver, co-creator Dramatica
Historically, writers have carried a Writer's Notebook everywhere they went. In it, they would jot down spontaneous ideas, bits of overheard dialog, word-sketches of characters they encountered, and perhaps even a few inspired finished lines for a current project.
With the advent of the computer, many writers, lazy creatures that we are, stopped carrying a notebook because writing in longhand had become passé, and was simply too much trouble, both in the doing, and then in the transcribing onto the computer later.
PDAs, of course, looked to be the answer since they were easy to stow in a pocket or purse, but using those little touch-screen keypads or trying to master long-hand data entry languages so the PDA can recognize the words is just another major inconvenience almost designed to frustrate a creative writer.
Laptops are fine, but you have to lug them around everywhere, and they take too long to power up for just a quick thought.
Yet those fleeting insights, musings, jokes, emotional word images, and transient concepts carry so much power and life that without them, sitting in front of a computer trying to be brilliant can be a sure path toward writer's block.
Fortunately, technology has now provided a way to capture all that creative energy in a simple and fun way, and get it right into your computer to put pizzazz in your stories.
Some time ago, I was in the market for digital voice recorder. I figured I could jot down notes, and someday, when I could afford it, I'd have them transcribed.
In my search, I discovered something even better: the multi-purpose recording device. The one I have is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, weighs about as much as a sparrow, but includes a digital voice recorder, video recorder (including sound), digital still camera, and even functions at an MP3 player, data storage and transfer device, and web cam! Cost? I paid $149 for it, and these days that model can be found for just $99.
There are no tapes to change - everything is stored on digital card, like Secure Digital or a Compact Flash Card. The card I have, which only costs about $29 these days, will store any combination of 2 hours of video, 3500 still images, or 16 hours of audio recordings!
Even though we are writers, the ideas and inspirations we have aren't just words. I often see some interesting bit of action, and can whip out the ol' Mustek and be able to shoot video in about 15 seconds. Still pictures with plot, character, or theme ideas are all around. And with this tiny unit, I can grab them in a flash.
Sometimes, while driving, I think of a really neat perspective I'd like to explore. While I'd have to let it go if I needed to pull over and write it down, with my trusty Mustek, I just push the button and start talking.
Best of all, there's no transcribing. When I get back home, I just plug the USB cable into my computer and download all the data from the Mustek into a folder on my desktop. Click on the files and there are all the videos, pictures, and audio recordings ready to work their way into my stories.
You can even get voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking, and have it automatically transcribe your audio recordings into text documents in your word processor!
What do I do with all this data? I usually stick it at the bottom of whatever story or script I'm currently working on. Then, every once in a while, I scroll down to it and see out anything I might work into the story so far. All the clever or emotionally potent little electronic notes I've taken get woven in to add spice, insight, and make me look absolutely inspired and brilliant. Passages that might otherwise have been dull and pedestrian perk right up. And often, these notes provide whole new directions to a predicable plot that may be stumbling or stagnating.
The most recent versions of programs such as Microsoft Work allow you to place digital pictures, videos, even audio recordings right into the document, either to show up visually, or as a link to click on.
Another good way to work is to write in HTML - web page format. Typing and spell checking is exactly the same, but you can easily create links to all your electronic notes that will make them available at your beck and call.
No, the Writer's Notebook is not dead - it's just ascended to a higher plane of existence. By taking advantage of the all-in-one personal recording device, you can make your stories come alive, and ensure you'll never lose another inspiration again.
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