- name
- transcribe-walk
- description
- Process walk recordings into usable research material. Transcription workflow, insight extraction, integration with pipeline. Use after WALK stage recording.
Transcribe Walk Skill
Purpose: Convert walk recordings into structured research material.
When to Use
After a walk recording is complete, before advancing to OUTLINE stage.
The Workflow
Recording → Transcription → Cleanup → Extraction → Integration1. Recording
During the walk:
- Voice memo app on phone
- Walk-and-talk guide visible for reference
- Stream of consciousness is fine
- Tangents are often the insights
Ideal recording:
- 20-45 minutes
- Captures responses to guide questions
- Includes spontaneous thoughts
- Natural pauses are fine
2. Transcription
Options:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Whisper (local) | Private, free, accurate | Requires setup |
| Otter.ai | Easy, good quality | Cloud, subscription |
| Built-in (iOS/Android) | Convenient | Variable quality |
| Manual | Perfect accuracy | Time-consuming |
Whisper command:
whisper recording.m4a --model medium --language en --output_format txtOutput: Raw transcript in pipeline/active/NNN-slug/03-walk-raw.txt
3. Cleanup
The raw transcript needs light editing:
- Fix obvious transcription errors
- Add paragraph breaks at topic shifts
- Mark unclear sections with [?]
- Don't over-edit - preserve natural speech
Output: Cleaned transcript in pipeline/active/NNN-slug/03-walk-transcript.md
4. Extraction
Pull out the valuable material:
# Walk Insights: [Article Title]
## Key Quotes
> "[Direct quote that captures something essential]"
> "[Another quote - preserve exact words]"
## Insights Discovered
- [Insight 1: Something they didn't know they knew]
- [Insight 2: Connection they made while walking]
- [Insight 3: Story detail that emerged]
## Emotional Beats
- [Moment of energy/excitement about X]
- [Moment of struggle/difficulty with Y]
- [Moment of realization about Z]
## Story Elements
- **Opening hook possibility:** [Something that could start the article]
- **Core tension:** [What the story is really about]
- **Resolution:** [How it lands]
## Questions Raised
- [New question that emerged]
- [Gap that needs more research]
## Natural Language
[Phrases, metaphors, ways of explaining that should carry into the article]5. Integration
The extracted material feeds into OUTLINE:
- Key quotes become potential pull quotes
- Insights become section topics
- Emotional beats guide narrative arc
- Natural language informs voice
- Questions may require returning to RESEARCH
Quality Gate
Gate question: Did you extract the heart of the story?
Checklist:
- [ ] Transcript is clean and readable
- [ ] Key quotes are identified
- [ ] Insights are extracted
- [ ] Emotional arc is visible
- [ ] Natural language is captured
- [ ] Material is ready to inform OUTLINE
Common Issues
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Recording too short | Guide not engaging | Revisit question design |
| All surface, no depth | Questions too broad | Add tacit knowledge triggers |
| Can't hear clearly | Recording quality | Better mic, quieter route |
| Tangents everywhere | No structure | Guide wasn't used |
| Nothing new emerged | Already knew the story | Skip walk for this article |
When Walk Adds Most Value
- Stories with emotional content
- Topics where you "know it but can't say it"
- Personal journey narratives
- Methodology you've internalized
When Walk May Be Skippable
- Purely technical content
- You've already articulated this clearly
- Time pressure
- Story is simple and straightforward
*The walk surfaces what you know. The transcript preserves it. The extraction makes it usable.*