Voice Post: "Daughters of Darkness" by LJ Smith

[rachelmanija]

Comments

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

Aw, very first PhonePost!

To transcribe, you just click on, of all things, "transcribe." I think if it's shorter than two minutes, LJ will auto-transcribe it, with hilarious results.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

It just came up with an empty comment when I did that... No options for auto-trnascribing or using any transcription service.

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

I just clicked on it and it took me to the transcription box. Try again?

Oh, I think that "empty comment" is the box. That's where you type the transcription.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Riiiight, but the entire point of doing this is so I don't have to type... How does the auto-transcription work?

[spectralbovine.livejournal.com]

http://www.livejournal.com/manage/voicepost.bml

Make sure the "Disable auto-transcription" box is unchecked. And, as someone said below, keep it under three minutes, and hilarity will ensue.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

COOL! It worked! You sounded like you were talking through a pipe, and there was scratchy extra noise, but otherwise like you.

Re: Transcription

[estara.livejournal.com]

You've got a nice voice :D.

I've found the following links about automatic transcription on LJ
http://news.livejournal.com/2007/05/24/
And the software they're working with, seems as if you can subscribe from their website, too. Not sure about the payment issues and the limit seems to be three minutes.
https://www.spinvox.com/signup_step_1.html?pt=4&c=US
Here's a guy who tried it
http://unknownblogger.livejournal.com/92741.html

[octopedingenue]

Your voice is so cute! And uses lots of semicolons!

I am typed out and now must go do my manga-reviewin' in voicepost as well.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[oyceter]

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! I think it's my favorite of her books. Either this one, or Huntress, but this one edges out sometimes because it is clever about genre tropes.

I also love how the book ends and how everything's not wrapped up with a bow, and I love the scene where Ash gives Mary-Lynette the sharpened walking stick! And that she uses the soulmate fuzzies to zap him.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

The sharpened stick as the answer to relationship power imbalance! That was my favorite scene too. Though their meeting, and poor Rowan stuffing live kittens in her suitcase, was also excellent.

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

Yay! That's one of my favorite Nightworld books -- and if you liked it, you should also like the Game trilogy. Julian and Jenny have similar banter (eventually).

And I second oyceter on Huntress. It's also the book where the series begins to come together thematically.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the Game trilogy now! I don't like Julian at all, though.

'come together thematically'? Don't mislead the woman, it's all about impossibly pretty supernatural people with improbable eye/hair colour combinations being soulmates!

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

Woo for the Game trilogy!

Naw, Julian's despicable -- at least at first. And I admire that LJ Smith's not afraid to go there. (Gee, are you sensing a trend in my tastes, what with this and Torchwood chat? *g*) But he becomes a proper woobie eventually. And along the way there's banter!

'come together thematically'? Don't mislead the woman

*cackles* You're right, forgive me. I was totally reaching out of love for a childhood series.

[chomiji]

>> Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade <<

But of course they are named that ... someday there will be ultra-cool sisters named Fran, Ruth, and Ellen.

> wistful sigh <

[wyrdness.livejournal.com]

There really should be, because they are awesome names that don't make me roll my eyes! :)

[chomiji]

> hugs you on behalf of her former co-worker, herself, and her sister-in-law ... and all other women with "sensible" names <

[kate_nepveu]

pameladean's Secret Country books have cousins named Ruth, Ellen, and Laura (also Patrick and Ted). I can't remember the sibling relationships at the moment, though.

[chomiji]

Hee! I'll have to check them out!

[kate_nepveu]

They were introduced to me, more than ten years ago now, as the best (or possibly only good) example of "kids go into other world, find out that their games are real" story.

For most of the trilogy, I was in a state of serious confusion, because they're from the POV of the kids and there's a lot going on that the kids aren't able to know yet. I got through because I cared about the characters and was fascinated by the problems, but they may not be suitable for everyone because of that.

Also, there is meta.

[chomiji]

Mmmm ... meta is tasty.

And by sheer odd coincidence, I went over to check out the latest posts on the Diana Wynne Jones mailing list archives, and they were mentioning these books (as part of a thread about characters losing their memories at the ends of fantasy stories, or finding out it was all a dream, and so on).

[kate_nepveu]

*looks at link*

Hmm. Well.

I . . . would not take that as a complete statement of the situation, if it's likely to be a barrier to you reading.

[g-minus-2.livejournal.com]

Hello! I came here via yhlee. The book looks intriguing and I'll have to keep an eye out for it, but I'm really commenting because I have severe RSI and use voice recognition software exclusively. If you're interested in talking about voice recognition software (pros, cons, tricks, the process of adjusting to it), feel free to drop me a line.

[chomiji]

This time, I listened to your voice instead of reading the transcript ... it's funny, I found myself zeroing in on your accent. There's a little hint of the New Yorkische Jewish, which was unexpected! And you speak in very nice, complete sentences.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Well, I am Jewish and my Dad's from Newark, NJ, so not surprising to me. ;)

I've done a fair amount of public speaking. Main lesson: pause rather than um.

[chomiji]

:-)

I've a bit of the same, for similar reasons (only in my case, both parents were from the Bronx).

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

Oh how I love that book. I particularly enjoyed that it was so very girl/boy and not girl/vampire-ish: Ash didn't have an insatiable lust for her blood, he wanted to make out! (And she wanted to kick him. Ah, love.)