Ways To Capture Ideas For Blog Posts
January 6, 2009 by Jason
Unfortunately, inspiration usually hits at a most inconvenient time. When an idea for a new post strikes I am usually away from a computer and I never seem to have a pad and pen handy to record the idea. When I get back to a computer I usually struggle to recall the idea, or the key points I planned to discuss. I have discovered a quick way to utilize modern technology to help in this regard, without spending a few hundred dollars on a PDA or Blackberry.
Your Cell Phone is Your Friend
One of the best, and most underutilized, features of today’s cell phones is the voice recorder. A quick search of the “Tools” menu on my phone reveals a “Recorder” option where I can speak a quick message into the phone’s microphone. Other models have a shortcut button on the outside of the phone similar to a camera phone’s camera-enabling button. If I am out and about and inspiration for an article pops into my head I’ll open my camera’s voice recording feature and give a quick summary of the idea.
Low-tech Options
There are obviously some low-tech options to consider. Some bloggers carry an idea notebook which could be as simple as a pad and pen tucked away in a back pocket. Others simply keep a folded sheet of paper with them at all times to record ideas and then transfer over to an electronic medium in the evenings. I personally find the cell phone voice recorder works best for me for the following reasons:
- I am less likely to lose my cell phone than a sheet of paper
- I can talk faster than I can write (and the faster I write, the sloppier my handwriting)
- It is not always convenient to write down a note, but talking on the phone is pretty well accepted as a socially acceptable activity
Photo courtesy of for3w
Related Articles From Other Sites
I use my iPhone for ideas on the go (voice recorder) and Google Docs for the ones I think of while I am at my computer. I know I have forgot a lot of ideas before getting the iPhone!
That’s a great idea. Of course, I only have a chocolat (p.o.s., if you want my opinion), but it does have a voice recorder. When I get my free upgrade in April, I’ll have to consider a cell phone that would offer options for capturing ideas. Thanks for the tip!
I love hearing how other people “capture” ideas. I wrote about this a while back and now it’s changed because of my new phone: the G1. It has a little notepad so I’ll jot stuff on there or in my Moskeline notebook. The problem? Now I’m getting things jotted down in my notebook, in my Inbox, in my phone, and in my Yahoo Notepad.
Hey, the more ideas, the merrier, right?
My boyfriend bought me a pocket size voice recorder. It could seriously fit on a key chain it is so tiny. I don’t use a cell phone, so it’s perfect for me. I get my best ideas running errands in my Betsy (my jeep). It’s not a good idea to drive and write. But driving and speaking into my little recording device works great.
I bet people at stop lights wonder what the HECK I am talking to myself about….
I will write down my ideas quick on my new ipod touch – it has a notepad app that i can quickly scrawl things down on.. I love it! As long as I have that with me, i’ll never forget another blog post idea!
The voice recorder idea is great. Unfortunately, the last couple phones I had, it was a royal pain in the butt to access it and use it.
Sprint offers “Voice SMS.” I find it’s much easier to send a voice SMS to my own email address than futz with the voice recorder. It’s easy for me to forget about voice memos stored on my phone, but I can’t ignore email.
I also carry a Moleskine notebook with me almost everywhere I go. My handwriting degrades as I write faster, but it’s good enough most of the time. Sometimes I just prefer to write it down than speak it.