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Interviewing Tips for Writers |
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Home Page At some stage in most writer's careers there comes a time when an interview will be required to add extra dimension, insight or depth to your work. This may be for an article, research for a book or other project you are working on.
The ten interview stages 1.
Defining the purpose of the interview
Digital Recording Devices The type of recording device you use should be compact, light and discreet in appearance. Files in a Digital Voice Recorder are saved with a numbering form with a date-and-time stamp.
Most of Digital Voice Recorders have four to five folders where you can store your messages and memories in a recorded voice format. Digital Voice Recorder can also include important functions, which will permit you to transfer messages from one folder to another, deleting messages and splitting messages.
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Home Page > Writing and Publishing > Article Library At some stage in most writer's careers there comes a time when an interview will be required to add extra dimension, insight or depth to your work. This may be for an article, research for a book or other project you are working on. In interviewing there are several ways to conduct an interview:
The focus of this article is the "In person" interview. There are occasions when "in person" interviewing will reward the you as a writer with a wealth of extra information that an email or phone conversation would not have otherwise produced. Here are a few tips for when the day arrives and you need to conduct the interview. Many beginner writers find interviewing a daunting experience and so avoid them if possible. To overcome nervousness practice, and then practice some more, on your family and friends before ever requesting your first "live person" interview. Background Research Do your homework on the person before going to the interview This could involve a search of the persons online press kit page, through media clippings, at the library, the who's who directory etc. Having some background knowledge will give you greater self-confidence and will help give a stronger line as to the questions you may want to ask. Interviews can be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or over the course of a month or more e.g. if you are doing an autobiography. When you make a time for the interview propose to take at least 30 minutes. Suggest you go to the persons, home, office or place of business and at a time suitable for them. Being in their own environment helps put the person being interviewed at ease and may provide the right background to your interview. Dress appropriately for where you are going, and who you are meeting. As a rule wear clothes that will not cause offence as many people you meet will be very conservative. Preparing Questions Rule #1 Don't ask stupid questions and don't ask questions you can find out through research unless it's to confirm a point. Prepare your list of questions in advance. List the questions and points you want to ask in brief heading form. Maintain eye contact with the person you are interviewing as much as possible. Listen carefully and establish a relaxed style of questioning. Allow the questions to flow according to the context, glancing at your list only to refresh your memory or fill a long pause in the conversation. If a pause should occur wait for the person being interviewed to continue the conversation. Never direct how the interview proceeds or you may miss the opportunity for obtaining other relevant information outside of your line of questioning. Be open to new questions and new points raised during the interview. Flexibility in your interviewing will allow you to pursue interesting or relevant sidelines as they come up. These may be areas of activity that you are unaware of despite your research. Don't worry about ending up with more information than you require. Use what you need and put the rest in your files to be used at another time. Recording and taking notes The type of recording device you use should be compact, light and discreet in appearance. Check the batteries, and volume before you arrive for the interview. After the introductory formalities ask permission if you can record the interview before the interview starts, then produce it and get started on the interview. Few people object to being recorded but if they do, just use your notebook. Tip: A press pass is not a necessity for carrying out interviews. If you do have a press pass remember to take it along with you though as a sign of your professionalism when you introduce yourself. Using a recorder helps establish an easy-going communication between you and the person you are interviewing as you are not constantly looking down to write notes. Holding the recorder in your non-writing hand allows you to operate the on/off button and to write any notations if needed with your other hand. Never thrust the recorder in a persons face as they will feel self-conscious, causing them to become tongue-tied. Use your notebook for the accurate spelling of names (companies, locations etc), jotting down a few main points and perhaps some question reminders for later. Be careful when recording that you don't loose concentration as this will tend to "deaden" an interview. Listen carefully to what is being said and be sure to understand the answers otherwise it will be difficult to write clearly enough for your readers. If you don't understand something ask! "Can you put it into simpler language?" or "Can you clarify that a little more". If a person is evasive of a question or doesn't give an answer, ask the question in a different way and at another point in your interview. If someone gives "off the record information" turn the recorder off. Always Guide the interview, but don't dominate it. If the person strays too far from the subject, then quickly guide the person back. Don't forget to turn the recorder back on when the interview proceeds again. When you get home label your cassettes so there is no chance that you accidentally tape over any information you want to keep. Tip: Always Keep a copy of the interview on file in case someone should claim they have been misquoted. If the interview is likely to be in any way contentious the copy should remain on file for at least a year or two. Photographs with the interview There are times when you may need to use a photograph of a person for the project you are working on. Tip: If you take photographs, always get a signed agreement before taking them and as a safeguard for yourself have them sign a Model Release Form. There have been many cases when a person's photo has been used without his/her prior consent and the person has sued for modelling fees, invasion of privacy, or various other reasons. Take any photos you require at the end of an interview when the person is relaxed. If possible have the person do something that is relevant to the interview rather than just standing or sitting. Alternatively photograph the person in surroundings that have meaning to the theme of the interview. If this is not possible then just take a mug shot (a facial close up) that you can use. Note: People will sometimes cross out the word electronic on a consent form if they do not want their picture to appear on the internet and only permit their photo to be used in a print publication. Always respect their request if this is the case. Ask open-ended questions Asking open-ended questions instead of ones that invite a yes or no answer will give more interesting responses. These questions usually begin with who, what, when, where and how, and cannot be answered with a straight yes or not. Example: "How did you get into writing?" "what made you decide on this particular area of writing"? etc. This type of questioning sets the framework of the interview and is a useful tool when digging for significant information. Write up the information within hours of the interview if possible or at least within a day or so. As a courtesy, offer to send the person a copy of the finished article or a free copy of your book Home Page - Home Decorating - Home Improvement and Woodworking - Art Gallery - Photography - Garden and Outdoor Living - Crafts and Hobbies - Health and Fitness - Kitchen and Cuisine - Beauty and Fashion - Writing and Publishing - Living Mindfully - Christmas Copyright © 2001-2008 Netwrite-Publish.com
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