Unlocking Stories with Faith, Focus, and Finesse
I’ll never forget the first time I interviewed an important person. It was Carl F. H. Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today magazine. Most people don’t realize that Billy Graham founded Christianity Today as a scholarly voice of modern Evangelicalism. Graham said he wanted to “plant the evangelical flag in the middle of the road, taking the conservative theological position but a definite liberal approach to social problems.”
Henry was the perfect choice as the first editor since he was a theologian with experience as a journalist. I was in awe when he came to our Christian university to deliver the prestigious Staley Lectures.
My Shame is Your Interview Opportunity
I was a senior and an editor of our campus newspaper. I had reserved a conference room and was ready for his arrival. You can guess how long ago it was because my preparation included a steno pad, a pen, and a cassette tape recorder.
The first thing I noticed about Carl Henry when he entered the room was how tired he was. He had a long flight from the east and was not as fresh as he wanted to be. He knew I was a tyro and was happy to help me meet our newspaper deadline.
After brief chitchat, I turned on my tape recorder, and we started the interview. I scratched a few notes as he spoke, but I had someone scheduled to transcribe the tape, so I mostly listened.
I had a long list of questions for him. Far too many. Some were relevant to my news story, and others satisfied my curiosity about the man and his work.
Finally, after 45 minutes, his ordeal was over. We shook hands as he departed. I sat down and rewound the cassette tape to listen to it. Nothing happened when I punched the button. I discovered it recorded his voice for about two minutes before the battery died. A feeling of terror washed over me.
I immediately dashed down notes based on my recall of our conversation, which had just occurred. I discovered I could not capture most of the good stuff. I had listened to Henry in a rosy haze, knowing I could transcribe my tape for exact quotes. That was not to be. I hoped to quote the master, but all my readers received were my weak paraphrases.
Interviews: The Source of Fresh Insights
I strongly recommend that you interview people to gather content. You can gather enough content in a well-planned 30-minute conversation to fill a chapter. Importantly, the content is of the finest quality because the person you interview is a primary source.
But you should learn from my shame and conduct the interview properly.
You can interview anyone about anything, but it’s desirable to interview experts on the subject of your blog posts or book. Today, you can do it in person, via phone, Zoom, or email. Interviews can add breadth and depth to anything you write.
Remember that I’m talking about a “sit down” interview here. Reporters often interview politicians and others “on the fly,” but that’s not our present focus.
If you’re writing a nonfiction book, you can add substance by interviewing several experts on your topic. If you’re writing a blog post, featuring one person is usually best. You’ll want to interview family members if you’re writing a family history.
Best Interview Practices
Meet in a quiet place. You should record the interview using the proper techniques, but you don’t want interruptions or background noise. I’ve done plenty of interviews around restaurant tables, but you need a quiet corner to do your best. It is far better to pick an office, conference room, or any out-of-the-way spot so there are minimal distractions.
By the way, most of us have cameras on our smartphones, and it’s a good idea to take a few pictures for use on your blog, in your book, or for book promotion. Always seek permission before taking photos.
Use a digital recorder
Most smartphones have recording apps, or you can use a dedicated digital recorder. I prefer a digital recorder because I turn off my phone before I start an interview. I also try to cajole the person I’m interviewing to turn off their phone to avoid interruptions. That’s a difficult thing to do and requires tact. If they decide to leave their phone on, you have to go with the flow.
Practice using your equipment long before your first interview. Check the battery indicator to ensure you have power before starting the interview. Carry extra batteries if your device requires them. Put the recorder closer to the person you’re interviewing — you don’t need to record your voice when you have a list of questions.
Write your questions in advance
Use paper, a smartphone, or a tablet, but write down your questions. Generally, 5–7 questions are enough; you’ll refer to them as the interview progresses. Hone your questions so they are direct and to the point. You should have researched before contacting the interviewee, so don’t rehash the basics in an interview. Go for the unique information your subject can supply. Phrase your questions properly — you don’t want to evoke a series of “yes” and “no” answers.
Why are you limiting yourself to 5–7 key questions? Two reasons. First, you often interview more than one person on the topic, especially if you’re writing a book. You want to ask different people different questions on various aspects of the topic to get the most out of what each has to offer. You are seeking variety, not predictable replies.
Second, no question stands alone. You will probably have at least one follow-up question for each written question. Ity’s an interview, but it is also a conversation. It’s great to seek clarity, but don’t let follow-up questions pull you off-track. Above all, stay on topic. It takes discipline from you to not go off-topic.
Keep written notes
Smartphones and digital recorders are fine, but I still jot notes during an interview. I don’t try to write everything — just keywords from responses. Sometimes, I also make notes about the demeanor of the person I’m interviewing.
Written notes will help guide your transcription and editing process. It is a failsafe if your recording gets garbled in some way. Your notes will remind you of details not on the recording, such as questions that come to mind for further research or to ask another person.
How to Transcribe Your Interview
Once you have a digital recording, you need to transcribe it. In the past, you would send the digital file to one of the many services you’ll find on the Internet (about 50 cents to $1 per minute). Today, most people use the Zoom transcribe option or an online tool like Otter.ai.
You can transcribe it yourself, but for most people, that takes more time than it’s worth. If you decide to make the transcription a DIY project, use a free Express Scribe Transcription Software tool to make the task less onerous.
I used to transcribe files myself. However, if I were forced to do that again now, I’d play my digital recording in front of a microphone connected to a transcription program like Dictation.io. It’s far from perfect, but it works and is free. You can fill in the blanks, if needed, from your recording.
How to Edit Your Interview
Once you have the transcription, you must edit it. Most people think an interview should read like what they see in Rolling Stone magazine, but that’s not true. That’s an option but not always the best one.
Journalist: When did you first recognize you had star power?
Ricky Rock Star: Well, me mum recognized my talent straightaway, mate. She put a little plastic guitar in my cot when I was still in nappies.
Often, it’s better to put only isolated quotes in the person’s own words. The exchange above might look like this:
Ricky said others recognized his unique musical talent long before he did. He was given a small plastic guitar, one of his first toys. “Me mum recognized my talent straightaway,” he said.
It’s the same content presented in a more readable way.
You want to highlight the best stuff from your interview and bury (not use) the less-than-stellar comments. Ethically, you must accurately represent what the interviewee said. Don’t chop up the interview to support a particular bias, as we often see on CBS, NBC, CNN, and other media. Yet, you are free to eliminate the question-and-answer format and not concern yourself with using every word you gathered. Interviewees will thank you for eliminating their “ums, “ “ahs,” and half-finished sentences.
Start Interviewing People Now
I had a clumsy start with Carl F. H. Henry. But over the years, I have interviewed Christian leaders, political and military people, and individuals from all walks of life. Their comments have enriched my writing.
Don’t start with a legendary theologian, editor, and author like I did. Practice with your spouse, child, or friend. You’ll discover that interviews are an exciting way to gather information for any writing project.
Interviews are an efficient way to collect original information for your Christian book or blog post. You’ll want to do some other research and fact-checking, but the quotes you capture are yours with attribution. It’s your job to present your focused conversations in an interesting way.
Sources cited:
Unless otherwise noted, Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
