More on the interview hate

I recently got a hot new digital voice recorder to use in interviews, to replace the OMG so outdated tape recorder I (rarely) used, prefering to rely on the old-fashioned method of making often-illegible marks on paper with a long tube filled with ink.

There's no question there are a lot of problems with note-taking. One, you can get it wrong without realizing it. Two, my handwriting is, at its best, a scrawl, and at worst, abstract art. If I didn't have the time to type up my own notes immediately after the interview, I typically couldn't even begin to decipher them later.

The other problem with taking notes, even though I'm wicked fast at it, is that while you're taking notes, you aren't looking at the person you're interviewing, and you're missing eye contact and body language that can inform your story. This is less important on a phone interview, but even there, I would sometimes find that I was still scrawling something down after they had finished talking, and not  formulating my follow up questions.

But there are problems with recording interviews, too. I hate having to listen to the whole freaking thing twice. I do the best I can to turn each interview into a scintillating article full of brilliant commentary, capturing the essence of the subject and shedding light on their cultural contributions, but DAMN some of these things are dull to listen to. Let alone listen to a second time.

The obvious cure is to do both, and use the recording as a backup for my own notes. The problem with that is, of course, then I lose the ability to really focus on the subject of the interview, and still almost always have to listen to the thing twice.

No, there really is only one true solution, and that's to become so highly paid as a writer that I can afford to have someone transcribe my recorded interviews for me. If you want to do that and are willing to work for gratitude and fame (such limited fame as I can offer, anyway), hey, let me know.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Comments

[Gil.]

See, what you need is a cadre of fans who will split up the work between them. Let them fight over interviews that interest them and promise them a copy of the tape. Me, I don't give a bleep what some actor thinks but if you interviewed Suzanne Clothier, for instance, or John Burchard (who has led a fascinating life even if practically no one has heard of him) or my favorite vet and maybe yours, I might do some clawing for the chance to transcribe notes.

Think outside the box! (Unless you're a cat.)
=eg=

Gil.

[KT]

How could you possibly hate having to listen to Renee O'Connor's voice? Geeesh ;)

[Theresa]

It all depends on who the interview is with. I react to James Marsters just as you react to Renee and Lucy. If you ever interview him, I'll happily transcribe. I could listen to him for hours (and have, at Whedonverse Cons and on audiobooks). :-)