The Fabulist Flash

Number 7

Southwest Red Rock Journal

In This Issue:

1. This Week
2. The Writer's Bookshelf
3. Handle Experts like an Expert
4. Tip of the Week
5. About The Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

A few weeks ago I wrote a short profile piece on a local, Las Vegas artist for a glossy travel magazine. It was a thrill to have the assignment, even on spec.

I made an appointment to interview the artist. I arrived on time, micro-cassette recorder, pen and pad, and camera in tow. I dried my sweaty palms and entered the studio. (That trick of rubbing a little deodorant into my palms doesn't work for me.) For some reason interviews intimidate me until I'm there doing them.

I'd done my research and prepared a question list ahead of time. It did come in handy for keeping the interview on track, but I had another experience that I frequently enjoy during interviews. I discovered the artist had many other interests and things to share that were "off topic" as far as my list went. I couldn't use this added information for my profile piece, but it sparked new story ideas and opened some new doors of opportunity for me. I was reminded by this experience that having prepared questions is essential, but it's also important to interview in the moment.

Since I wrote that profile, which will appear in the spring, the artist has invited me to attended several gallery events and fundraisers. One result is that I've met art studio owners and directors and gotten some excellent behind-the-scene photos for my stock collection. If I hadn't been listening and responding to my interviewee and allowed the interview to travel off topic, I wouldn't have been included in any of these events or met any of these people, all of whom gladly offered their cards and agreed to future interviews.

It's important to get the interview you need, to learn new information, and to collect those dazzling quotes. It's also important to let the person you're interviewing be involved in the direction your interview takes. You never know what gems might shine through.

In keeping with the interview theme I review Ken Metzler's book Creative Interviewing in The Writer's Bookshelf and our feature article is a guest column by Phyllis Edgerly Ring with her advice on how to Handle Experts like an Expert when conducting interviews.

Until next week,

Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a freelance writer and photographer. Learn more about Gregory and his work at http://www.Kompes.com
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How do you prepare for interviews? Email Aha@FabulistFlash.com
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2. The Writer's Bookshelf

Creative Interviewing: The Writer's Guide to Gathering Information by Asking Questions by Ken Metzler

A Review by Gregory A. Kompes

Good interviewing skills are essential for freelance writers. Ken Metzler's book, Creative Interviewing: The Writer's Guide to Gathering Information by Asking Questions, is an excellent source for learning how to conduct an interview and improving your interviewing techniques.

Did you know that most interviews happen in ten stages? Mr. Metzler explains, "Face-to-Face interviews usually, though not always, run through ten stages. Four stages occur before you even meet your respondent. The success of the six subsequent ones depends largely on how well you accomplish the first four."

Do you know what the ten interview stages are? Here's the list from Creating Interviewing:

1. Defining the purpose of the interview
2. Conducting background research
3. Requesting an interview appointment
4. Planning the interview
5. Meeting your respondent: breaking the ice
6. Asking your first questions
7. Establishing an easy rapport
8. Asking the bomb
9. Recovering from the bomb
10. Concluding the interview

Based on this ten stage list, Mr. Metzler details all the ins and outs to creating and conducting interviews. From his text you'll learn what makes for a constructive interview, details on accomplishing the Ten Stages, how to form and ask questions, find sources, and more. There's even a chapter on how to be the interviewee, which will hopefully be important to all of us someday.

Creative Interviewing is written in clear, concise prose, with a pleasant sense of humor thrown into the mix. Mr. Metzler also provides plenty of case studies and anecdotes to help you learn by example for your own interviews.

If you're serious about improving your interviewing skills you'll want to add Creating Interviewing to your writer's bookshelf.

For this title and others of inspiration to writers visit The Writer's Bookshelf.

3. Handle Experts like an Expert

Handle Experts like an Expert

by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Interview sources are an asset for freelancers. Whether referred to us by assigning editors or tracked down through our own internet searches or networking, the interviewee does the writer a favour. They help us write accurately about what we don't know and make our writing understandable and interesting to the reader. A good interviewee will become a point of reference for other contacts and resources and will often provide you with future story ideas.

Show consideration for a source's time by demonstrating that you've done your homework and will conduct the interview in a professional way. Before making initial contact, equip yourself with basic information about the topic and the interviewee. Internet search engines make this easier than ever. One pre-interview search revealed that my potential source had written a book about raising sons in addition to the one on adoption I'd already seen. This helped shape the questions I asked her as well as the focus and outline of my article.

Knowing more about your source and topic helps you build rapport, recognize and understand the topic's terminology, and frame open-ended questions that will be interesting for your source to answer. For experts it's troubling to be asked repeatedly to supply the most basic information by interviewers who haven't bothered to educate themselves first.

Gathering information ahead of time has another advantage. On first contact, many sources want to know what you're going to ask about. More than one busy expert has also told me, "I can give you a few minutes right now." If I hadn't done some homework first I'd have missed a window of opportunity with someone I might not easily reach again.

Prospective interviewees, especially experts, can be hard to reach. Contact potential sources as far ahead of your deadline as possible because folks go on sabbaticals or get buried under an avalanche of correspondence. You may need to contact several sources to acquire enough information so compile a list of prospects in case some refuse or don't respond. You can always include several sources or save some input for a future story or resale.

Whether you telephone, write, or email, state your interview request clearly and specifically: "I've been assigned by Magazine Y to write an article about how women with diabetes can prepare for healthy pregnancy. Are you willing to answer questions for this story?" If you don't have an assignment from a publication, simply state what you intend to write and request the interview. If the person asks where a story will be published, name the publication(s) you plan to query about it (information you'll need to research and have on hand).

Specify the deadline by which you'll need information and provide an estimate of how much time you'll need for a face-to-face or telephone interview. Decide together what the best type of interview format will be for your mutual convenience. Email interviews have made the whole process more accessible and faster. Whatever your method of interview, you may still want to email, fax, or mail questions for your source to see ahead of time. All contact should be made at your expense although occasionally sources may prefer to call you back for personal convenience.

If you make your interview request by mail, email, or voicemail, plan to follow up by phone or email at least once if you don't receive a reply within 5-7 business days. State in your initial request that you will follow up and when according to the needs of your deadline.

Most important of all, be courteous and appreciative in all of your communications with those you wish to interview. With our ever-expanding and sped-up options for communication niceties are sometimes in short supply, but they're always welcome. Remember, interviewees are people first and experts second and respond well to receiving respect as each of these.

About The Author
================================================================= Phyllis Edgerly Ring's work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Christian Science Monitor, Hope, Ms., Writers Weekly, and Yankee. She serves as instructor for the Long Ridge Writing Group, facilitates community dialogues on interracial unity, and formerly served as program director at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, Maine. More information about her current projects can be found at http://www.phyllisring.com.

4. Tip of the Week

When conducting interviews you will glean usefull background information by asking "off topic" questions.

Here are some possible topics from Ken Metzler, Creative Interviewing

Ask about interesting places visited, about plans for the future, about childhood events, or about areas of expertise. These questions will help establish rapport and add color to your writing.

5. About The Fabulist Flash

ISSN: 1554-0804

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