Transcription… How To Survive!

IS there anything duller in life than transcribing interviews?

My current project involves a 40-ish minute slot, each week, with my interviewee.

As good as the sessions are, there’s nothing more mind-numbing than scribing up that interview knowing that you’ll pretty much have to do it again “in proper speak” to quote my dad, for the book itself.

It doesn’t help when you have a little timer in Quick Time or Windows Media Player, that shows how long you have to go too.

You can be typing forever and then you look up and see a soul-destroying 35 minutes left.

It’s not like the interviews are rubbish either – every sentence, phrase and even the voicing and intonation is vitally important if the book is to succeed.

When you are ghost-writing it is important that 99 per cent of the book is from the protagonist.

Put too much of your own voice in and it loses impact.

It’s even harder when you are an editor or journo by trade as you have an irrepressible urge to over-edit and use the simplified language you demonstrate week in, week out.

You have to repress that voice inside you that says…. “he’s saying that wrong, it should be this”.

That’s the secret to the success of my two books so far and long may it continue – basically ignoring all my training and urges!

But… if someone could come up with someway of making transcription easier… they would be my best friend!