Short of having your dog write for you, you might be asking yourself how to find time to write… and you’ll be surprised to find out that I was able to find more time to write while walking this little cutie!
I’ve written about how to write faster here before, because as bloggers and writers it’s so important for us to know how save time writing.
Today I’m going to be talking about a new system that I’ve developed for myself to be a more prolific writer.
While I love dictating text on my computer, I realized that it was very similar to writing with a keyboard. I still had to be at my desk, with all of the distractions that come with my shiny computer.
The solution I’m about to share with you today takes you to out of your office and away from your computer, helping you focus on the content you want to create!
How To Find Time To Write – My System
Links to the programs mentioned in the video: Evernote idea gardens, Dragon Recorder App, MacSpeech Scribe.
How To Find Time To Write Using Transcription
Here’s what my new writing routine looks like:
- Keep Track of Your Writing Ideas: We all hate approaching a blank page or document, but wouldn’t that be case for recording yourself, too? Well that’s where my good friend Evernote comes in, and that’s where I keep all of my blog post and content ideas, in an Evernote notebook that is also available anywhere on my iPhone.
- Start Recording Your Thoughts On Audio: First I started out by getting a free app for my iPhone called Dragon Recorder App. You could also use any recording device that lets you save .wav files and upload them to your computer. Make sure to dictate in complete sentences, using the keywords “period, comma, exclamation mark, new paragraph” so that the transcription software will return something other than a long string of words. During my twice-daily dog walks, I take out my iPhone and start dictating and recording my blog posts. In fact, this particular blog post is being dictated right now from the beautiful park with my dog Millie. Yes, this is my sneaky answer to how to find time to write.
- Run Your Recordings Through Transcription Software: So that’s the first half of the process, the next part is getting my .wav files into the MacSpeech Scribe program. Don’t be confused by the name scribe, there are a ton of different programs with the same name, so follow this link to make sure we’re talking about the same one.I prefer to record a couple of pieces of writing throughout the day and in the evening I transfer those over to my computer for transcription. I run them through MacSpeech scribe and then copy the output text into my text editor of choice Scrivener.
I love Scrivener, by the way and I’m a happy affiliate.
- Take Your Transcribed Text and Edit It: If you’ve ever used any dictation software before, then you know the text that comes out the other end is not always perfect. The software does get better the more you use it, and you can train it to understand the way that you pronounce certain words. But there might still be a couple of things that don’t get transcribed properly, especially if there’s background noise or wind blowing to distort the sound.
So that’s my new process for writing blog posts, and I’m also using it to write my upcoming book.
Not On a Mac? What Other Tools Could You Use?
So do you actually need an iPhone to use this time saving system? No you don’t, you as long as you have a system that will allow you to record an audio file, then you can just upload to that file and run through a transcription program.
Not a Mac? Here’s The PC Equivalent: The counterpart of MacSpeech Scribe for the PC is by the same company, and it’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Why Dictating While You Walk Helps You Be More Creative (Or Side Effects Of Finding More Time To Write)
If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time at the computer every day, and it can be hard on your body to sit for hours without any exercise.
Going for a walk is not only good for the body, but it also helps generate new ideas and boost your creativity. You’re not in the same old environment, and you’re giving yourself new brain food.
You’re also pumping your lungs full of fresh air, and there’s something to be said for moving to kickstart your creativity.
No More Asking Yourself How To Find Time To Write… Just Do It.
I hope you enjoyed learning about my new system for writing more prolifically.
Some of my best ideas have come to me while I was taking a walk, or taking a shower… but I don’t recommend using your iPhone to dictate in the shower!
Let me know in the comments below how to find time to write other than through dictation, I know we’re all so good at finding ways that work for us as individuals!
