by Nicola Warwick
by Nicola Warwick
Conducting Interviews
I tend to be something of a perfectionist which can seriously limit the
amount of work I can turn out. I'm my own worst enemy. I like things to be
right. I like what I write to be right.
When I'm interviewing an author
or writer I need a finite length of time. I like to familiarise myself with
their work and read their latest offering. I try to get under their skin and
fathom out what it is that makes them tick. It's a strange sort of process. I
thought for a while it was something that was unique to me. But Richard Holmes,
famed romantic biographer, adopts similar techniques. He literally follows in
the footsteps of his subjects, visiting places associated with them, reading
letters from archives. Holmes' process is undoubtedly more extreme than mine.
But in both cases it's almost like trying to mind read. There's something very
intuitive about the whole thing.
If I
get the chance to speak to someone--either in person or on the phone--then this
is clearly a great opportunity to get a feel for the interviewee. Mostly I e-mail
the writer and we may exchange a few e-mails. The internet and press articles are
a great source of background information. Amazon.com can be very helpful, too, if
an author has amassed reader comments about their books. Reader comments can be
very insightful.
I think one of the key elements to any interview is
integrity. Whilst it has become something of a trend to dish the dirt on
interviewees in the press I don't subscribe to that theory. I certainly don't
want to operate in that arena. There's something quite satisfying in looking for
the best in people and portraying their achievements in a good light.
Copyright © Nicola Warwick, 2010.
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