Prepare a structure
• Go in with 3 or 4 plot points you are trying to draw out
• What happened
• Why they think it happened
• What did they think it would be like before they started
• What was it really like
• Look for the lesson
Pointers for a good interview
• If you are calm and casual your subjects will follow your lead
• Tell subjects not to be afraid to interrupt
• If you want your interviewee to open up, tell them a personal story
• Have the person give you a tour of the key places in the story, explaining the significance of each place (helps audience picture the story)
• Look for retelling of dialogue
• Document and understand the interviewee’s point of view
• If you have a criticism of the interviewee say it to their face so they can respond
• Try out several hypotheses on them about why something happened (this helps with reflection and can give you a good ending)
Make a log of the tape as you interview
• Have a word or phrase for each sentence
• Circle three or four favorite moments
• Then determine what is the first moment of the story and which is last
• Then build an outline