The Interview Story

The Interview Process  Charm

1. Why?  Analyzer
2. What?  Fairness
3. How?  Flexibility
What do we hope to find?  Skeptic
 New ideas  Curiosity
 New points of view  Broad general knowledge
 Rare insights Common Problems
What do we hope to do?  Tension
 Persuade info from reluctant people  Non-conversational
 Figure out someone’s wavering opinion  Over-preapred
 Reassure people  Failing to ask why
 Recognize when someone is undecided on  Vagueness
something  What you wear
 To check things that seem sketchy  Over-explaining
10 Stages of an Interview  Insensitivity
 Defining the purpose  Stating your opinion
 Conducting background research Some more advice
 Requesting an interview  Listen
 Planning  Silence is golden
 Icebreakers  Summarize often
 Asking the questions  Speak softly
 Establishing a relationship  Use humor
 Dropping the bomb  Encourage
 Recovering  Keep talking
 Ending  Ice breakers
Interviewer Personality Necessities Recording
 Good poker face  Notebook & Recorder
 Fast thinking  Gestures
 Determination  Clothing
 Observation  Keep mic hidden

How to Write an Interview Article for a Magazine

1. Determine your subject 6. Structure of the article
2. Choose your questions wisely a. Literal – write down the questions,
3. Interview your subject followed by the literal/only slightly
4. Organize your data rephrased answers
5. Narrow your focus b. Narrative – describe what the
interviewee says in the third person
c. Hybrid – leave out the questions and
combine narrative statements with
direct quotes
Step by Step Guide
I. Before Interview
 Before you interview or write the story, think about your goal – the type of story you want
to write, the space you’ll have to tell it in, where it’ll be published, and who’ll be reading it.
 Decided what your angle is: What is interesting or unusual about this person? What is this
person’s story
II. Setting Up Interview
 Assemble Tools: notepad, tape/digital recorder, camera, pens
 Prepare questions to ask in advance. Group questions into categories.
III. At Interview
  The initial interview should focus on making the subject comfortable as well as getting
general background information out of the way.
 Begin an interview with a set of questions, but knows when to add impromptu questions
that will get a subject to continue on a train of thought if it sounds interesting.
 Be conversational but let the source do most of the talking. Never supply or suggest an
answer.
 Notice details in the subject’s environment, her personal habits, her appearance, etc.
 Take notes even if you’re recording.
IV. Questions
 Start off by asking standard background information.
 Always follow up.
V. At End
 Thank them for their time.
 Ask permission to contact them again.
VI. Afterward
 Reflect on the interview
 List your main points of the story.