The Technique Behind Talking
It is no secret that those in the communications world are quite the talkers. Our interactive nature fuels us to do what we do best: build relationships. The skill of interviewing and interview writing is becoming increasingly sought after with the popularity of blogging.
In my time as an intern, I have had the chance to learn interviewing writing skills from the very talented Shawn Foucher. Shawn has worked in the media and communications industries for 15 years and is currently a writer for Spectrum Health’s blog, Health Beat. This blog will use Shawn’s strategies and break down the technique behind talking.
Interviewing:
Personality is what builds the story.
Get them chatting! Their unique language choices and tone will allow their voice to shine through later on while writing.
Narrow their train of thought.
Guide them to discuss one moment at a time. This will allow you to squeeze every detail out of the story. Getting them to explain the five senses in their experiences humanizes the story and gives it character.
Try to get the interview subject to give you an analogy.
The ability to illustrate a concept or experience is something Shawn refers to as the “Hallmark of good writing”. Getting this quote in an interview is powerful and allows the reader to closely relate to the subject and their story.
Interviewing is more than just who, what, where, when and why. Those are only the building blocks of a story. It is the trust that you develop with your subject and the sharing of their personal experiences that strengthen an interview.
Interview Writing:
Lead with an illustration.
Using quotes where your subject references one of the senses is the most relatable starting point of a story. A cut on someone’s hand, the color of a sunset, the wind of a crisp day are all human experiences that create common ground between the subject and reader, sparking interest to read on!
Consistent theme of why.
Elaborating on the “why” will help to not only keep your reader engaged, but also invest in the humanity of the piece. Don’t forget the importance of secondhand relationship building!
Pacing the story is critical.
Cutting and extending the interview information will give rhythm to the story. The variation of sentence structure and length helps the overall flow of the piece and makes it easier for the reader to digest. Line breaks are also visually appealing and interesting to the eye.
Interviewing goes beyond the purpose of constructing a story. It allows you to connect with people from all different walks of life that help to shape our own thoughts and perspectives. Interviewing also gives us the opportunity to practice the art of listening, something that will always be important. As young adults prepping for the workplace, we need to soak up all pertinent knowledge that we can. Interviewing and interview writing is another skill we can have under our belts!
About Hannah:
Hannah Grant is a senior at GVSU studying Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Writing. Her creativity and social spirit make her very excited to serve on the GrandPR Executive Board as the Firm Editor. Hannah is currently working as a marketing intern at the Kids’ Food Basket headquarters in Grand Rapids. She is ready to bring her experience and passion for all things communication to this year's GrandPR team.