From voice notes to a book outline.
Plan your recording sessions, get questions for every chapter, then log each voice note against the chapter it belongs to. When you are done, export an outline built from what you actually said.
Talk Your Book worksheet
Saved in this browser only. No audio is uploaded.
These are your own estimates, not rules. One study of recorded conversations measured an average of 164 words a minute, with a wide range between speakers, so measure your own: words in one transcript divided by the minutes recorded. The method guide has the source.
Plan, talk, log, repeat
List your chapters first
Even a rough list. Talking without a plan produces hours of audio that circle the same three stories. Each chapter in the plan gets its own questions.
Record one chapter per session
Open the chapter in the plan, answer its questions out loud, and follow up on yourself: "for example?", "what happened next?" Set up your recording with the recording guide.
Log each recording in a sentence
Right after you stop, write what you covered and pick the chapter. Notes that do not fit go to the parking lot. In a few weeks you can see which chapters are full and which are still empty.
Export, transcribe, and write
The exported outline is the map for turning transcripts into chapters. The transcript to chapter guide takes it from there.
Common questions
Does the worksheet upload my recordings?
No. The worksheet never touches audio. You type a short note about each recording (what you talked about, and for how long) and pick the chapter it belongs to. Those notes are saved in this browser only.
How does it work out how long I need to talk?
It divides your target length by the number of chapters, then works out how many words you need to say to keep that many, using two numbers you set: your speaking pace in words a minute, and the share of what you say that you expect to keep. Measure your own pace from one recording; the method guide shows how.
Where do the interview questions come from?
They are starting questions written by the Scribe team for nonfiction books: opening questions for the first chapter, method and story questions for the middle, and closing questions for the last. The full question bank has many more.
What is the parking lot?
A place for good material that does not belong to a chapter yet. Talking produces stories and ideas you did not plan. Log them anyway; many end up anchoring a chapter later.
Would rather someone else turned the talk into a book?
Leave your details and someone from the Scribe team will get in touch about writing your book from interviews. Your worksheet outline comes along with the form, so the conversation starts where you are.
Rather pick a time yourself? Book a free 15-minute consult or call 512-325-0249.
Thank you. Your details are with the Scribe team.
Someone from Scribe will reach out by email. If you would rather not wait, pick a time for a free consult.