During my first two newspaper jobs, I was a die-hard believer in written notes, meaning I'd conduct interviews and write down salient quotes for eventual inclusion in a story. This worked fine for newspaper work, which didn't usually get very technical or particularly in-depth.
I tried to carry over my belief in written notes into my current capacity as an information technology (IT) writer, but I realized quite quickly that was an impossibility. I absolutely required a tape recorder, in addition to written notes, if I wished to last in this niche writing field, which I have, going on six years now.
But, man, I hate transcribing taped interviews. I mean, I HATE it. I can think of so many other things I'd rather be doing than transcribing tape, including rubbing 60 grit sandpaper on my scrotum. And, yes, I realize there are software programs in existence that can somewhat, sort of, do the job, but they cost more than a head transplant, so I won't be procurring said software any time soon.
The worst is when you have to transcribe an interview you conducted with someone who has a thick accent. And it doesn't matter what kind of accent, either. They all suck.
Anyway. . . so yeah, I've been transcribing tape all week. It's a hoot.
Posted by Ryan at June 28, 2007 09:08 AM | TrackBackI feel your pain..I HATE transcribing too. How long are your interviews though? and how fast can you transcribe? Right now I'm averaging an hour interview to 4 hours of transcribing.....i'm a newbie:(
and my fingers kill at the end of the day.
Plus when I get home, the last thing I want to see is the computer.
Posted by: kylie at August 22, 2007 11:49 PM
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