The easiest way we’ve found to edit these is this method: 1. Create a new document (in Word or Google Docs) 2. Copy and paste the outline sections from each chapter at the top of the corresponding chapter transcript 3. Paste the entire audio transcript for each chapter below the chapter outline This gets you the chapter structure up top, and the work on the audio transcript right below it. STEP 2: “TRANSLATE” THE AUDIO TRANSCRIPT INTO BOOK PROSE Once you have each chapter organized, you’re going to “translate” your audio text into book prose. This is not as challenging as orig- inal writing, since the words and ideas are there. But this is important: this is not editing. You will need to re-write the transcript in most cases. There are a number of ways to do this, but there is one process that is most effective for us. It’s counterintuitive, but the trick is to go slowly in order to finish more quickly. These are the exact steps we recommend going through for each chapter: • We use a two-document process. One open document that the transcript is in. The other is the manuscript draft. You should “read, digest, write,” shifting attention from transcript to man- uscript. • We recommend you go paragraph by paragraph, rewriting each one transcription passage onto the manuscript. The point is you need to physically type your new chapters, para- graph by paragraph. DO NOT just edit the existing chunks of raw transcription. hOW TO WriTE yOUr firST DrAfT (ThE SCriBE METhOD) · 157