The 5 Questions You Should Ask During (Almost) Every Interview
Interviews are a vital aspect of nonfiction writing. Depending on the topic, freelancers may turn to subject matter experts or everyday people with unique experiences, knowledge, or opinions to help inform the articles they write. Over the course of my career, I have uncovered five specific questions that can be extremely helpful in getting the most out of potential sources. While not applicable to every interview, these questions can help add detail, color, and heft to our work.
1. What was your inspiration?
Inspiration is the creative spark that leads to great things, the “aha!” moment when the abstract suddenly takes form. It strikes writers, musicians, researchers, and more—anyone striving to create, build, or innovate. Almost every important accomplishment has started with a moment of inspiration, and it behooves writers to explore that aspect of a story.
As a general freelancer, my work requires that I talk to people in all walks of life, from astronauts and artists to cancer researchers and filmmakers. Almost always, there is an important moment of inspiration in these people’s stories, and I’m eager to explore it. For example, I recently interviewed renowned paleo artist William Stout for Back Issue! magazine regarding his extensive dinosaur-themed comic book work. His covers are very action-oriented, and I asked about the inspiration behind two of them for a series titled Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. Both covers, Stout said, were inspired by incidents that occurred while he was visiting Antarctica studying and drawing the local wildlife. In one instance, he and a colleague almost died when their Kodiak boat nearly overturned in the icy water. The other was inspired when a scientist in Stout’s group was knocked to the ground by an aggressive bird called a skua. In addition to being great stories, these anecdotes illustrate how inspiration can come from the strangest places, and how successful creators use it to their advantage.
The best way to approach the topic of inspiration with a source is be direct and specific. “What was your inspiration for X?” “Where did the idea for Y come from?” “What commonly inspires the work you do?” Sometimes the response will be mere background, but often it sheds important light on why or how a certain thing happened.
“Everyone loves a triumph-over-adversity story, so asking sources how they dealt with overwhelming challenges in pursuit of success can often form the heart of an article or profile, and even become its through-line.” —Don Vaughan
Writer’s Digest
2. Why is this important?
Someone who has accomplished something remarkable inherently understands why that accomplishment is important. You may, too, but your readers may not, especially if the topic is novel to them. It’s up to you as the writer to encourage your source to explain the importance so the reader understands just how life-changing it promises to be.
I write often about health and medicine, and I always ask why a particular breakthrough is important. Sometimes it’s readily apparent: a novel treatment for cancer, for example, is important because it will save thousands of lives. But other times the importance needs to be clarified in a way that says to the reader, “Pay attention—this breakthrough may have important implications for your own life.”
Asking why something is important may sometimes seem unnecessary, but it’s still a good idea to have your source explain that importance because their answer may provide additional information or reveal deeper insight.
3. What were the greatest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Everyone loves a triumph-over-adversity story, so asking sources how they dealt with overwhelming challenges in pursuit of success can often form the heart of an article or profile, and even become its through-line.
What were the greatest challenges you faced, when did you recognize them, and how did you overcome them? This line of questioning can reveal a source’s intent, the extent of their drive, and how they think through obstacles, which in turn helps illuminate the importance of their achievement.
Challenges can take many forms, such as time constraints, a lack of necessary materials or funding, or gaps in knowledge that must be bridged. Challenges became the primary focus of a feature I wrote for Veterinary Practice News regarding the San Diego Zoo’s involvement in an international effort to save the nearly extinct northern white rhinoceros, of which only two remain in the world. Understandably, the challenges faced by participating veterinarians and others are extensive, ranging from perfecting ovum pickup (the retrieval of unfertilized eggs, a skill possessed by only a handful of people worldwide) to converting cryogenically preserved cells from northern white rhinos into stem cells that could develop into sperm and eggs. These and other challenges drove my article, fueled by the effort’s desperate race against time.
4. What do you get personally from your work?
I love this question because it addresses the issues of motivation and reward: Why are you engaged in this effort, and what joy do you derive from it? Unfortunately, many writers gloss over this question, if they raise it all, because they don’t think it’s particularly important or will add to the article they’re writing. But I have found that asking what someone gets personally from their work can evoke emotions that take the conversation, and sometimes the resulting article, in unanticipated directions and reveal unique insights.
I ask this question often, regardless of a source’s occupation, and almost always find their answer quotable. Some love the challenges their work provides. Others do it simply for the fun of it, which is fine. But altruism—the satisfaction of knowing their work helps others—is one of the most common responses I hear. Kwane Stewart, who I profiled for Veterinary Practice News, is a good example. The California-based veterinarian created an outreach program that provides free veterinary services to unhoused pet owners. This mission, he told me, stemmed from an encounter he had with a homeless man whose dog had such a severe flea problem that it looked like a burn victim. Stewart treated the dog for free, and the results were nothing short of miraculous. “I felt the man’s despair [when we first met], and I then pulled his dog out of a state of suffering,” Stewart recalled. “It was such a healing moment for me.” These kinds of evocative, emotionally charged quotes are writing gold, but you have to seek them out.
5. Who else would you suggest I talk to?
Beginning writers often start a project with a set list of sources, and hold firm to that list. This can severely limit an article’s scope, perspective and depth of opinion, insight and information. Early in my career, I learned to conclude every interview by asking the source who else they thought I should talk to. Almost always, they would suggest colleagues whose knowledge and insight added to the topic I was writing about. When reaching out to Dr. B, I would let them know that I had already talked to Dr. A, who had made the referral. With this recommendation, Dr. B would almost always agree to a chat.
By asking sources who else they would suggest you talk to, you’re opening yourself to unanticipated opportunities that can help improve your work. Professionals, regardless of occupation, are almost always aware of the true innovators in their field and the importance of their work. As a result, they may recommend subject matter experts you had no knowledge of, and areas of research that help give your article additional depth.
Not every referral will be useful. Some may be individuals you have already talked to, while others may not be directly involved in the subject you’re writing about. But the question is always worth asking because when a referred source has additional information or insight to share, your readers will benefit.
Research, interview, and explore the subjects that interest you. Then write about what you’ve learned in Writing Nonfiction 101: Fundamentals. Throughout this 12-week course, you will get step-by-step instruction on how to write nonfiction, read Philip Gerard’s Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, and write articles, essays, or a few chapters of your book. Register for this course and discover how fun writing nonfiction can be.
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