When it comes to interviewing a person, it’s better to do it in short lines, giving a faithful and unmistakable image of the interviewee. It would be great if the interviewer could highlight some of the character’s distinctive features, something that really makes him stand out: if every day his breakfast consists of orange juice, poached eggs and lattes, it’s not necessary to publish it; if he sleeps with ten cats in his bed, then it’s worth mentioning it, but it’s much better if he sleeps with ten cats and four dogs in his bed. After that, it’s important to pay attention to that which is closely related to his profession, art, or whatever made him famous and is the reason he’s being interviewed. Keep in mind that what the interviewer is trying to do is exalt the interviewee’s image, mentioning the most important facts about his life, and at the same time, writing a good article.
Another type of interview consists merely of asking for information, opinions or judgments about certain facts. In this case, the interviewer-commenter’s job consists of making sure that the words and concepts expressed by the interviewee don’t suffer any alterations. It’s best to make clear that “half-truths” are as bad as lies. There’s nothing more harmful for the interviewee than having an interview published only partially, especially if the core concepts are not present in it.
A trendy method consists of going to an interview with a pre-written questionnaire that the interviewee has to answer by writing. This is a common method thanks to how easy and comfortable it is, but the easiest is not always the better. Many times, these interviews are dull. It’s best to listen to the character and let him speak with absolute liberty. Sometimes, an interviewer’s talent lies in knowing when to be quiet.
Lastly, the interview’s main focus is not the interviewer, but rather the interviewee. There’s no reason to try to overshadow or upstage the person in any way. The best thing to do is to discreetly leave the interviewer in the background.
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