If you are a freelance writer writing interviews, you might try a few of the following steps to write a creative, narrative interview.
How to Conduct an Interview
First, you will want to generate some ideas for your interview. Depending on your interview subject, and your angle, you will want to step up to the table with the freshest questions possible. For example, Stephen King has likely been asked where he gets his ideas a thousand times, and your interview wouldn’t cover any new ground, and may even annoy your interview subject. Try and ask much more in-depth questions that fit into the context of your interview subject’s background. If you are interviewing an author, you might want to ask questions about specific works, methods, and how their work fits into the larger context of their field. Adjust this method to suit the field that your interview subject works in, the length of their career, etc.
Sometimes your best bet is to take the time to uncover the one question that your interview subject has never been asked before. Don’t be surprised if your interview subject becomes ecstatic, as you might have asked them a question they have waited years for someone to ask. Think over that one under-asked question long and hard then build on it.
For other ideas on how to conduct an interview, try this article.
Using the Interview to Tell a Story
Narrative interviews have the advantage of being more creative than your basic Q&A interview. While they don’t necessarily need to tell a story, the author has much more freedom to present the ideas and angles as they see fit. Still, the narrative interview is a chance for the interviewer to switch into story-telling mode. For example, in “Terror at 40, 000 Feet”, a Dark Scribe Magazine interview with Gord Rollo, the interviewer conducts the interview en route to the World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City.
The interviewer writes the interview as an on-going conversation throughout eight hours of travel from Buffalo, New York to Chicago, Illinois and eventually to Salt Lake City, Utah.
In “Lunch with Lamberson”, a Dark Scribe interview with Greg Lamberson, the interviewer again chats with a horror author. Because this authors is from Buffalo, the interviewer conducts the interview from the Anchor Bar (home of the original Buffalo chicken wing) to create some regional flavor. The questions and responses are integrated into different events during the meal, such as receiving their drinks, placing their order, paying the bill etc.
Remember, not every thought in your narrative interview needs to be recorded chronologically. Your interview subject might express a thought at the beginning, middle or end of the interview, that you might want to use at a point that is better suited for it. Narrative interviews allow you, the interviewer, that license.
Tips for Writing a Narrative Interview
Remember that narrative interviews are written in the present tense. Feel free to be creative in writing your interview, but always make sure that you’ve quoted only what your interview subject has actually said, and only in the context of how they meant it.
Derek Clendening - I'm a freelance writer and have combined writing with my love of football. I'm very opinionated about football, which you can learn more ...
