Q: How do you find out what God is doing in your area of the world?
Q: How can you find out what the spiritual climate is in your ministry focus?
Q: How can you initiate and engage nationals in significant conversations?
Q: How can you keep your newsletters and blogs interesting?
A: Interviews
By utilizing the interview technique, you can enter into a conversation in a nonthreatening way by simply asking a person what they think about a certain topic and acquiring interesting information and stories. As a writer, you can then take the answers and write them up to fashion a story that would be of interest to your team, your company and even your supporters.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be exploring the subject of interviewing with the goal of getting each one of you to conduct one interview, write it up, and submit it to the "Interview Challenge" Contest! Who knows, we may discover the next Christiane Amanpour!
I found an article, "13 Simple Journalist Techniques For Effective Interviews," by Sarah Stuteville, that will get us moving in the right direction. I'll list the 13 techniques from the article and then let you click through to read more on each technique [plus there's an inspiring photo you gotta see...I see you in that shot!].
From the article: In an effort to help other aspiring reporters develop this crucial skill-I brought together some of my colleagues and journalist friends to ask them what interview tips they think are most helpful:
1. Find a good location.
2. Prepare your goals ahead.
3. Write down your questions.
4. Work on your flow.
5. Think about the medium.
6. Bring a buddy.
7. Avoid obsessing.
8. Be a little annoying.
9. Be a little sneaky.
10. Empower them.
11. Work them up.
12. Endure awkward silences.
13. Ask for what you need.
For the "Interview Challenge": This week pick someone to interview. Develop and write out your goal for the interview.
I'd love to know who you pick and why you are going to interview them...so please share in the comment section. It is the goal of this blog to keep you writing and perhaps pushing you beyond what your current skill set is, so I hope you take this "Interview Challenge."
2. Prepare your goals ahead.
3. Write down your questions.
4. Work on your flow.
5. Think about the medium.
6. Bring a buddy.
7. Avoid obsessing.
8. Be a little annoying.
9. Be a little sneaky.
10. Empower them.
11. Work them up.
12. Endure awkward silences.
13. Ask for what you need.
For the "Interview Challenge": This week pick someone to interview. Develop and write out your goal for the interview.
I'd love to know who you pick and why you are going to interview them...so please share in the comment section. It is the goal of this blog to keep you writing and perhaps pushing you beyond what your current skill set is, so I hope you take this "Interview Challenge."
3 comments:
Okay, I'll play, though it will likely have to wait another week until these folks return from vacation. I'd like to interview some coworkers in order to help me put together a commemorative dvd of our ministry for the past 25 years. This couple has known us since our very earliest days. Hmmm... Lots to think about. Thanks for the tips and the links.
@ Jamie Jo: Thanks for playing with me! I'll be talking about asking questions that will draw out your interviewee next week...so stayed tuned. yf, Cindy
Just now getting around to doing this, as I do have a proper interview in the near future! thank you so much for all these posts, suggestions, and challenges!
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