This weekend, at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference in the Denver area, I’ll be sharing all my hard-won wisdom (?!) about how to interview anyone about anything to enrich your fiction.
Many people may think of interviewing as something that writers only do for nonfiction, like articles, history books, or podcasts. Or you may be thinking, “Seriously? I have the internet. Why do I need to interview someone?”
But it’s amazing how the right interview with the right person can add realism and elevate a scene in your fiction from “pretty good” to “nailed it.”
Got a scene in your western where your heroine’s horse throws a shoe? Talk to a local farrier (horse-shoeing professional) to find out how she would handle that situation. Writing a YA novel about a kid who delivers pizza? Ask a real-life pizza delivery driver about their worst experience on the job.
Need an insider’s view of e-sports competitions, backcountry search and rescue, fire investigations, or high school gay-straight alliance clubs? Don’t rely on your own imagination, no matter how good it is. Real life is often more outrageous or unbelievable than even Stephen King’s imagination could dream up, so tap into that by interviewing a real human about their experiences.
As a writer of a ridiculous number of articles, how-to books, business communications, and fiction, I’ve probably interviewed at least 500 people over the years. (The real number is probably larger, but I lost count.)
One thing I’ve learned?
Everyone loves to talk about something they are passionate about.
Even the shiest person you know will open up if you start asking them about their Pokemon card collection, their experiences as a volunteer firefighter, their dog, or how to replace the wheels on their well-used skateboard.
So if you have a need for some realism, heart, or depth in the scenes you’re writing (and who doesn’t?), go beyond the internet and try interviewing a real person about their real experiences.
And if you’re registered for the RMFW conference this weekend in the Denver suburb of Aurora, CO, find my presentation on Saturday morning at 11:00am. You’ll hear the logistics of deciding what you need for your story’s scenes, finding the right subject matter expert to interview, prepping for and conducting the interview, and incorporating your research into your scenes without overloading your scene with all those delicious facts you’ve learned.
A final tip: if you ever want to interview me about interviewing (or any other aspect of writing craft), find me on my website (www.KelleyLindberg.com) and shoot me an email!
[Photo by Medy Siregar on Unsplash]