GWA #8 - Ghostwriting 101 Part 6

Conducting client interviews. So, you know the old saying “when it rains it pours”? That’s definitely how I feel right now. Last Monday a hard drive on my nice new computer decided to fail. Luckily I had time to get most of my files that I hadn’t transferred over to my external hard drive. As you can probably tell from the lack of music, the intro was not one of those files. So, next week you’ll be hearing some brand new music. To cut a long story short, I didn’t get my computer back until last Friday and I had a lot of work to catch up on. So, once again I have to apologize for leaving you all hanging. Trusting that no other catastrophes are going to take place in the near future, we should be back on schedule now.

So, let’s get to business. I decided that I was trying to cram way too much into this short little podcast so I am dividing up the next topic. Today we will be talking about conducting interviews. Next week I’ll be discussing the writing process and how to take on the author’s voice.

First, let’s talk about equipment. There are three things you will absolutely need to have with you in order to conduct an interview properly: a notebook, pen, and a voice recorder. I personally use the Sony ICD-P320 but there are plenty of them out there to choose from and the prices will range from $40-$100. I like mine because it is very portable. It’s about 1 inch wide, ¾ of an inch thick, and no more than 4 inches long. But no matter what voice recorder you get, make sure it comes with an editing program that will allow you to slow the audio speed down. This will be essential for when you make transcripts of your interviews.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have both a notebook and a voice recorder. Don’t ever try to get away with just one of the two. If you just write notes you will inevitably miss something and you won’t be able to capture the emotion of the statement quick enough. And if you try to just record the conversation and not take notes, I guarantee you that one day a file will corrupt and you’ll lose an interview. It’s just how it works. So don’t tempt fate…do what I do and take shorthand notes and record the entire meeting.

If you are working with a client that you will not be meeting with in person either because of scheduling or distance, I highly recommend that you invest in a web cam. There’s no need to get anything fancy. My computer came with one already installed in the monitor, but just by doing a cursory search on amazon.com I saw several for under $30. Being able to see each other will make the experience feel more personal and it’s a nice option to offer your client.

Now that you have your equipment, it’s time to interview. There are two basic ways to handle the interviewing process. You can either be formal by using the question and answer method or you can be more casual by simply giving the author prompts and basically having a conversation. The method you use will depend on your personality, what your client is comfortable with, and the project you’re working on.

Remember that before the interviewing begins, you should have your blueprint complete. This is important because you’ll be using your outline to help you along with the questions you ask or prompts you provide. When taking the formal approach, you should be prepared to ask specific questions. If you’re going to be more casual, you have to be able to lead your client conversationally.

Let me give you an example: let’s say you’re working with a client who is having you write their autobiography and by looking at your blueprint you know that much of the book is going to focus on his childhood. If you’re going to take a more casual approach, you should begin by asking him to talk about the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks about his childhood. In this case, he begins to talk about the summers he spent at his Uncle’s cottage. Be ready to break into his stories to draw out more detail. Once you feel like you have enough information on his summers at the cottage, lead them to the next event by using your blueprint as your guide. This style of interviewing is more time consuming but I like it because the clients tend to be more relaxed and you get better information from them.

If you prefer a more formal approach, you need to make sure that your outline is very detailed. In this case, you should already know that your client spent summers at his Uncle’s cottage and therefore you should be ready with questions like: what did he do? Who was with him? What were those people like?

Of course, each project will be different. If you are working on an academic non-fiction book or a factually based newspaper article, you should definitely lean more toward the formal approach. Once you have a good amount of detail, feel free to have a more conversational tone to get more information to fill in with. However, your first priority has to be getting the facts straight.

Remember that the purpose of the interviews is to draw out information to make your job as the writer a little easier. Get as many details as possible. It’s always better to have too much information than not enough.

Also, make sure to keep a timetable of the meetings. I personally include a set amount of free meeting hours in my price, so I always make sure to write down the exact time that we begin and end. I put that information into a chart that I can give my clients at any time so they know how many free hours of meetings they have left.

I mentioned making transcripts a few minutes ago when discussing voice recorders. Now, I’ll be honest. Next to editing, making transcripts has got to be the most boring part of your job as a writer. Nevertheless, it’s necessary. You must make a transcript of every word spoken (both questions and answers) for each interview. This will aid you in taking direct quotes and incorporating them into the project. Likewise, having the phrasing you used when asking the question will be helpful when time has passed since the interview and you need a little reminder of the details. I always use my editing program to slow the audio speed down to at least half speed so that it is easier to catch every word. It will take a time or two to get used to it, but it makes your job a lot easier.

So, to sum things up: make sure you have the necessary equipment. Never go into an interview without your notebook and voice recorder. Likewise, if you work with clients who you won’t be seeing in person, consider investing in a web cam. When doing the interview, decide whether you want it to be more formal or casual. Feel free to ask your client what they are more comfortable with. This is key because when your client is relaxed, you’ll get better information out of them. Also, don’t brush off making complete transcripts. Make sure you capture every word that was spoken…you’ll regret it in the long run if you don’t.
Feel free to contact me with your questions or comments at any time. I will answer your questions on air if I think the audience will benefit from hearing about the subject of your e-mail. You can reach me at gwapodcast@aol.com. That link will be included in the show notes at the official page for the Ghostwriters Anonymous podcast, http://www.ghostwriters-anonymous.com/. Click on the tab that says “Ghostwriters Anonymous podcast.” Along with the links, I also include a transcript of every episode, so take the time to check that out. Thank you for listening and make sure to tune in next week for the seventh episode of the Ghostwriting101 series where I will discuss the writing process and how to take on the author’s voice.