How to get better at capturing details during interviews (Part 1)
The first of a two-part series on interviewing.
When I was a young journalist, I used to create long lists of questions prior to every interview. It felt safe to have a list to rely on, especially during interviews about complicated or sensitive topics.
The lists prepared me, but they also prevented me from being fully present. I would always be thinking ahead to the next question, so much so that it sometimes interfered with my ability to listen for follow-ups. I still like to list out questions prior to interviews, but the difference now is that I’m no longer beholden to them.
I’ve come to see interviews as a process of discovery — an unveiling of new information that deepens your understanding of a person or topic and thereby helps your readers do the same.
Drawing upon lessons I’ve learned along the way and tips I’ve gleaned from other journalists, I’m sharing 12 tips that will help you interview for detail. I’ll share six this week and six next week.
1. Let curiosity be your guide.
I’m a big believer that writers should live their lives in the form of a question. My kids remind me of this all the time, when they unabashedly ask me questions without fear of being judged or seeming unintelligent. How do flowers bloom, mommy? Why do caterpillars turn into butterflies? How do the stars end up in the sky?
During interviews, listen to your inner child who isn’t afraid to look at the world with wonder and curiosity. If the person you’re interviewing says something intriguing, or something you don’t know much about, ask follow-up questions. More often than not, these follow-ups will lead to telling details and greater clarity. Also, research shows that those who ask follow-up questions are better liked by their conversation partners.
2. Fill your box of crayons.
My kids are at the age where they’re always drawing with crayons and markers at the kitchen table — the point where my husband I joke that our dining room may as well be an art studio. When our children draw, they typically don’t use every color in their box of 64 Crayola crayons. But they like knowing they have the option of doing so.
The next time you do an interview, picture a box of crayons. Every detail you gather is like a crayon that you can use to fill your box. It’s unlikely you’ll use every single detail when writing your story, but if you don’t have the details to begin with, you’ll never have the option of coloring your story with them.
3. Get the name of the dog.
This is a classic piece of advice from writing coach Roy Peter Clark, who encourages writers to get the name of the dog, or the make and model of the car, or the slogan on the T-shirt. In other words, always be on the lookout for details that tell you something about a person and their surroundings.
Often, these details open up points of relatability for readers. I was reminded of this recently when listening to the audiobook version of Amy Griffin’s new memoir The Tell. I found myself nodding in recognition as I heard Griffin recount her childhood days of riding her pastel pink, banana-seat bike with tassels on the handlebars. I had a bike similar to that as a child, and this one telling detail made me feel a little closer to her story.
4. Ask three-layered questions.
I learned this tip from my friend Lane DeGregory, a Pulitzer-winning journalist who works at the Tampa Bay Times. When speaking to my Longform Feature Writing class last fall, she recounted a story she once wrote about a Florida woman who had won $1 million in Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. The woman was not especially talkative, so Lane had to find ways to keep the conversation going. As she told my students, one part of the interview went something like this:
Lane: What were you doing when you found out you won?
Winner: I was eating breakfast.
Lane: What were you eating for breakfast?
Winner: Cereal.
Lane: What kind of cereal?
Winner: Lucky Charms.
Lane hit the journalistic jackpot with that last response. Instead of stopping after that first question, Lane asked three layers of questions that ultimately led to a higher level of detail. She ended up including a related line in the story, about how this woman was eating Lucky Charms when she found out she had won $1 million. (The story isn’t available online or else I’d link to it here.) The next time you interview someone, picture a box of Lucky Charms. You may not always get lucky, but it can’t hurt to try.
5. Aim for green-light questions.
During interviews, I also like to picture a traffic light, with each color representing a different type of question: a green-light question, a yellow-light question, and a red-light question.
Green light questions are open-ended ones that tend to start with the words “how” and “why.” These are the types of questions you should aim for because they encourage expansive answers that help move the interview forward.
Yellow-light questions are yes/no questions. They tend to slow down an interview because people may only answer with a literal “yes” or “no.” Yellow-light questions can be important when you’re seeking confirmation or need to clarify something, but use them with caution.
Red-light questions are double-barreled or triple-barreled questions that occur when you pack two or three inquiries into one. They tend to stop the flow of information in an interview. I’ve asked my fair share of them during interviews, but I do my best to avoid them in favor of asking one question at a time.
When you ask people three questions at once, they typically do one of two things: They either answer the question that they remember best (usually the first or last one), or they only address the one they’re most comfortable answering. Occasionally, they may ask you to repeat the question. If they don’t, you can always take this upon yourself by saying something like, “That was a little confusing. Let me rewind and rephrase.” People appreciate this acknowledgement.
6. Savor silence.
When interviewing people about difficult or emotional topics, you may find that they need a moment to gain their composure or to think through their response. I used to feel uncomfortable with these moments of silence, and I would quickly interject. Many of us do. Silence stretches time, making 10 seconds feel like 10 minutes. And our society at large is uncomfortable with such stretches.
You have to train yourself, then, to listen to silence. Sometimes it can clue you in to what people aren’t willing to share. But more often than not, it allows space for emotion and reflection. I’ve found that when I make space for silence, the people I’m interviewing eventually fill it with something that helps me understand them better. People may just need a moment, especially when recounting painful truths. It’s an act of kindness to let them have it — and to sit in the silence alongside them.
Next week, in Part 2, I’ll share six more tips. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your interviewing advice, or answer any questions you might have. Please share them in the comments section. (Update: Here is a link to Part 2.)
My debut book, SLIP, is now available for pre-order! Pre-orders help expand a book's reach, and my hope is that this book reaches and helps as many people as possible. You can pre-order SLIP wherever you buy books: