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Turning an interview transcript into a polished profile piece
I have a raw interview transcript. Turn it into a polished word_count-word profile piece in publication_style style, but do it as real journalism, not a summary.
Transcript:
transcript_text
Requirements:
1. Find the actual narrative thread, most interviews wander; identify the 2-3 moments or quotes that carry the real story and build the piece around them, don't just go chronologically through the transcript.
2. Use direct quotes only where the person's actual phrasing adds voice or specificity; paraphrase filler or rambling answers.
3. Do not invent any quote, fact, or detail not present in the transcript. If you need a transition or context sentence, mark it clearly as [WRITER'S CONTEXT] so I know what's not from the subject.
4. Open with a scene or specific detail, not a generic bio-paragraph lede.
5. After the piece, list any place where the transcript was ambiguous or contradictory and you had to make an editorial choice, so I can verify against the recording.