It's true that the best interviews are like good conversations. That is, in most cases the interview should be a comfortable give-and-take session where you and the person you interview talk with each other, not at each other. Of course, if the interviewee is hostile or defensive, this may not be the case. But the three best things you can do to have a good interview are:
1) Prepare thoroughly by researching the topic and/or the person and list questions.
2) Take good notes and record the interview if possible.
3) Listen very attentively.
Being a good listener is the most important thing you can do. One of the biggest mistakes many inexperienced reporters make is worrying so much about what question to ask next, that they don't realize something important or unexpected that the interviewee has just said.
Here are a couple of short videos I would like you to watch. The first is some good advice about interviewing from former network anchor Katie Couric. The second is from National Public Radio's Scott Simon.
There's an old saying in journalism: "Less is more."
Forget about the times you wrote as much as you could about something in order to impress the teacher or give your reader the impression that you really know what you're talking about. In journalism brevity is key. Hard news stories must be concise or you'll confuse and lose the reader. While feature stories allow writers to be more descriptive and more creative, that doesn't mean you should necessarily start writing a lot more. Right now we're focusing on short profiles so that means first do thorough reporting and interviewing, then pick the very best information to write your story. Don't give the reader all of the information. While your words may be sacred to you, you have to be able to cut what's not necessary and edit wordy phrases.
Think of it as fat-free writing.
Click on the links below to see three more examples of 300-word stories by Brady Dennnis, then comment on which you like the best and why.
Looking for a laugh
One minute and $123 dollars
As time goes by
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ReplyDeleteThe story I liked the best was Looking for a laugh. I liked it the best because it really made you think about how you would never know what someone is going through or has gone through by first glance. When reading the story I couldn't help but feel pity for this man. All he wanted to do was make people laugh, forget about his problems for a few minutes. Unfortunately, he failed to make people laugh during his first amateur night, his big break. It was the kind of story that pulled on your heart strings in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was As time goes by. Mr. Mullins is perfect content with his life. He has everything he could ever need, his house, church, and his wife, all in close proximity. He spends all of his time either selling produce at the end of his driveway, or going to church. He doesn't have to have a huge impact on the world, his life is perfectly fine the way it is. He spends his time meeting new people and talking to them. He doesn't have to travel the world to meet people from far away places. It may be his only choice. After bypass surgery his heart was weakened and he doesn't have enough energy to do things that others do. But he'll just stay put where he is and make do. He's still happy, even though his heart conditions have taken a toll on his life. This story just gave us a glimpse at this man's life, but I think that this article shows us that you can come to terms with something, accept your life, and just be happy.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was "One minute and 123 dollars" because it was a heartwarming story. I enjoyed how this particular type of wedding was a minute and no fuss, rather than the hundred thousand dollar weddings where everyone is dressed up. Simply, this reinforces the fact that weddings are meant for two people and regardless of money spent to celebrate the wedding, the couple become married; something that bonds them together forever.
ReplyDelete"One minute and 123 dollars" was the story that appealed to me the most. It warms my heart to hear how couples come together. Weddings are usually very costly and extravegant, so i enjoyed hearing how simple this particular couple's was. For the woman performing the marriage ceremony, they were just another of the many couples she has every day. However, for the couple, the memory of the ceremony will stay with them forver.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all 3 stories, I enjoyed "As time goes by" the most. We often hope and dream for this picture-perfect lifestyle with fancy cars and extravagant clothing. However, we don't really appreciate the small, more meaningful and important things in our hectic lives. Mr. Mullins does however. He has the three most important things he would ever need: his job, his wife, and his produce booth. And he is more than happy. His bypass surgery could have been an obstacle in his way, yet he made it into a new opportunity. Mullins is a great example of someone appreciating everything they have been blessed with, and not wishing for more.
ReplyDeleteOf the three stories, my favorite was "As Time Goes By." I liked this story because in just 300 words, you got an idea of the life Don Mullins lives. It gave good description of his home, his past, and his life today. It was a very heart-warming story that reminds you that you can still be happy living a simple life. The author interviewed a man that most people would not pay attention to, which gives the story an entertaining, unique spin. Also, you can tell that the author spent a lot of time interviewing Mullins because he was able to provide the reader with Mullins' past health problems. Most people do not open up about serious health problems right away, showing that the author conducted a good interview.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was "As time goes by." This story made me appreciate Brady Dennis' stories about everyday people. He captured an average man's life and made it inspirational. Don Mullins appreciates his wife, his home, church and his job. He doesn't wish to have more. He is a lesson for everyone to be thankful and make the most of what they have and to simply love the life they have been given.
ReplyDeleteThe story I liked best was the "Looking for a laugh." this story demonstrated how one man chooses to never give up on his dreams. He performs at a comedy club, and doesn't do to well, yet he refuses to give up and trudges ahead. He knew this is what he wanted to do, and even though he didn't do so well he shrugged it off, went home and looks forward to his next chance at making his dream come true.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story "As time goes by" the most. On one level, it portrays a man who has accepted his life and has everything he needs. He is not rich, but he knows, with a concrete certainty, that his place in the world is right where he sits, at the end of his driveway. He is secure and has come to terms with his life, and he has a wife who loves him. However, on another level, the story had a slightly melancholy feel to it. When you are young, you feel like you can do anything. This man has not done anything particularly amazing with his life. The image of him sitting at the end of his driveway against the backdrop of a long road and the open sky is evokes a certain loneliness. His statement about dying under the oak trees near his house gives he same feeling.
ReplyDeleteI liked "Looking for a Laugh" because it shows that you should never give up. This man loved to make others laugh. He loved to take away people's worries because he knew what it was like to have so many. Although he may fail sometimes, he always stays positive and looks towards the future.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was "Looking for a Laugh" because it shows how much more there is to a person than you can see. All Nigel wanted was to make people laugh and it made me sad when he did'nt do well. I thought the story was written very well and I really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the story "As time goes by." Mr. Mullins is a man who lives a simple life selling produce by the road, and the author made an interesting story with vivid descriptions. I like these 300 word stories, because it gives others an opportunity to look into the lives of everyday people who they used to just overlook. Everyone really does have a story and it's a reporter's job to find it. It's amazing how you can make such a detailed and entertaining point in under 300 words.
ReplyDeleteThe story that I liked the best was "As time goes by." I thought that it was written very well with clear descriptions. The author takes person that would be over-looked (under normal circumstances) and tells his story keeping the reader's interest throughout. This story shows what painting a picture is all about, and how a few dynamic details builds a solid human interest story.
ReplyDeleteThe story that most appealed to me was "As time goes by," because I believe Don Mullins recognizes what is most important in life. He is content, because he is near everything that matters to him -- his home, his church, and his wife. That being said, without ever leaving his driveway, Mr. Mullins has experienced the world through the people he serves. I am touched by the fact that he realizes that it is the small things in life that truly make us happy. The story also demonstrates that even after something as life changing as a bypass surgery, you can still choose to do something that brings you happiness.
ReplyDeleteThe story that caught my interest the most was "As time goes by." I liked the fact that I could practically visualize everything around him, as if I was the one sitting in that padded chair. I loved the fact that Mr. Mullins' life was so simple, and yet it brought him much happiness. He had his wife, his home, and his church, and that's all he needed to be content.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was Looking for a laugh. The first sentence immediately grabs your interest, and then you just want to keep reading. I liked how there were serious and (ironically) funny examples of Davis's unfunny days that revealed a bit about the man himself. The author definitely thought out the story and centered it around what Davis was passionate about: making people laugh. There was more of a point to this story than the other two, and it was definitely more interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was Looking for a Laugh. The author did a great job of immediately pulling the readers into the story. When you first hear about all these sad things that have happened to this man, you would expect him to be a depressed and quiet man, however, he works as a comedian. So it is kind of unusual. Also, this story is inspirational. Even though Davis has lost some of the most important things in his life, he is still able to pursue his passion and make people laugh. This teaches me to never give up no matter how hard life gets.
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite story was 'As time goes by' because it was very descriptive and took something that could have been ordinary, and made it extraordinary and interesting. the writing was very good and it captured you in a shorter amount of time. I liked how it portrayed a somewhat ordinary man and showed that his life was good in the simple ways and you don't have to do amazing things everyday to have a good life.
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