Improving my interviews - a basic, common sense approach

Thankfully, the days of mini cassette recorders died with the advent of the iPhone. Returning to field of journalism doesn't mean fumbling with rewind and keeping track of itty bitty tapes anymore. Thank God.

So happy I don't have to worry about you anymore

Recording my recent interviews via iPhone revealed one unavoidable truth: I probably make my interview subjects feel  very uncomfortable.

There


were


so


many


awkward


pauses

as I attempted to write down every single word of the interview I was already recording anyway. I left my interviews with pages and pages of sloppy, handwritten notes. If I'm going to make a serious go of this whole writing thing, I figure I need to step up my interview game in a big way.

Why? I want my interviewees to feel comfortable sharing their truth with me. I hope to build long lasting relationships as a result of my interviews. I need to get stellar quotes and killer content that distinguishes me as a fabulous writer.

Here's my game plan going forward:

1. Do a soundcheck to make sure I can clearly hear my interviewee on the recorder before starting the conversation
2. Create a detailed list of questions on my notepad and check them off as I ask them
3. Take one word notes during the interview of memorable quotes to guide the writing/editing process afterwards
4. Upload interviews to soundcloud, external hard drive or similar service after interview just in case anything happens to my phone before I submit my article (heaven forbid)
5. In the car immediately after the interview, try to outline the important parts of the conversation (procrastinator I am, I doubt this will happen)
6. Continue to listen to all transcripts and find ways to make my interviews feel more like a conversation

This seemed like a great idea for a blog post initially. Now that I'm reading it, it seems pretty basic but I'm still going to keep it. Surely I can't be the only one that has a long way to go in my interview process. 

Do you have any tricks of the trade to share? Do tell! 

It's good to be a little overwhelmed

In college, I always bit off more than I could chew. My days flew by in a flurry of meetings and commitments and late-night cramming sessions. I volunteered, I interned, I worked, I worked out and I still managed to write.

At my first job, I worked for a software company in Africa and worked hard. I'm talking an early night ended at 7pm. I'm talking landing and launching multi-million dollar government projects.

Even though it seems like it, I'm not trying to brag. I'm just trying to remind myself that I'm capable of a lot.

You see, I've fallen into a complacency over the last year that is just not like me at all.

I go to work at 8am and I go home at 5pm. Sometimes I work out. Occasionally I cook a healthy meal. Often, I pop way too many Bud Lights and complain about my life situation. I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth.

I sit at home and feel unhappy about my career, weight and financial situation. I make half-hearted attempts to improve myself only to abandon them before I even start them.

This January ushered in a new era. It just happened to coincide with the New Year. I promise I didn't plan it that way.For the first time ever I didn't set a SINGLE resolution related to my weight or my career.

The only thing I promised myself was that I would pay off my 29.99 annual-percentage-rate $5,000 credit card.

Then, I decided to join a running group to train for a half marathon, training six days every week.

Then, my niece challenged me to a sugar fast.

I happened to get great assignments for my freelance magazine gig and then landed a monthly feature in another newspaper.

To top it off, I decided to move to a (cheaper) apartment one town over.

I'm a little overwhelmed. And tired, cranky and wishing I had a Pepsi like a mofo.

Yet, I feel like I'm finding myself again. I have this feeling that I'm on my way to something big, but I just have to stay the course.

I just have to show up and do the work of today without any regard for how I"m going to face tomorrow.

And somehow, miraculously, it's all going to come together.

Imagine that

My life and my emotions are like a giant wave, easily cascading from giant swells to the murkiest bottoms in an instant. One day, I can be bawling my eyes out over the misery of my not-at-all miserable life. The next, I can be praying aloud while driving down the highway, thanking Jesus for beautiful life he's given me.

I don't really understand it. Believe me, I've tried. I've had my hormones checked out. I've been to therapy. I've posted motivational notes around my apartment to remind me to count my blessings. Nothing really works, unfortunately.

I'm finally realizing that it may be situational. I'm a creative, emotional, perfectionist, loving kind of person. While I don't need glitter and rainbows all the time, the fact that I dislike my job (where I spend the majority of my time) wears me down. It makes me irritable and miserable and though I'm looking like a fiend, I have had trouble believing that I'll be able to escape.

Until this week.

It's a great story...

I started freelancing a few months ago for a local magazine. During my interview, I was told that my work may be able to expand someday because the publisher is starting a group of related magazines in the nearby communities.

Yeah, right, I thought. I realize that makes me sound like the world's biggest pessimist, but whatever. I didn't believe her.

Until this week.

She calls me to give me my upcoming assignments and tells me that she's looking to hire a fulltime staff writer in the next year.

Wha????


Can you say ecstatic?

I'm cautiously optimistic about the opportunity. I understand that ish happens and it might not work out. Then, again, it just might.

I might be able to write fulltime for a living. Never mind that I'll probably have to get a job as a waitress or barista to make the ends meet. I don't care at all.

I can't imagine living off my writing. I can't imagine all the doors it will open up for me to pursue other writing opportunities, expand my  blog, become a Zumba fitness instructor. I can't imagine taking my laptop to Starbucks on my own damn time and working on my writing. I can't imagine being able to work late into the night on something that actually matters to me.

It gives me chills just to think about it.

It makes me happy. 

Imagine that.

My Favorite Posts

I'm proud of these posts and relish rereading them. Please peruse at your leisure.

Workplace Haiku 

Waking Up

It's good to be a little overwhelmed

Boyfriend of the Year

I can do better than this

I can do better than this

Last night, laying in bed and trying to fall asleep, I had this thought:

I can do better than this.

As much as I wish I could find contentment in my daily life, it eludes me. I think it's because I thought that I'd have it figured out by now. That I wouldn't still be getting hammered a couple of nights a week or living in some podunk town in the Central Valley of California. I thought I'd be on my way to a fulfilling career and not living paycheck to paycheck anymore. I thought I'd eat healthily and work out regularly and travel often.

That's not the case. At all.

Though I have many, many blessings in my life and I think of them often, I still can't help feeling that I can do better than this.

But where to start?

Instead of grand proclamations, I am going back to the basics.

Cooking myself a healthy, green dinner. Saying no to the emotional eating that wants to take over.

I'm applying to jobs that are a step in the right direction. And cleaning my damn house. 

Basically, I'm doing better. 

Because I can do better. 

Overcoming insecurity

Oy, talk about a 180.

Last night I was all glitter and rainbows, waxing poetic about how everything is beautiful and lovely and I-just-love-my-life-so-much glorious.

Then, insecurity in the form of cupcakes and cashmere swept in and I couldn't shake the feeling that I am c-r-a-z-y for taking ownership of my dreams and believing that I can really write something that masses of people will want to read every day.

You see, I don't want to write about fashion, or food, or exercise. I'm not interested in giving the world a play-by-play of my day-to-day life.

I want to write about things that matter from my own perspective. I want to share my experiences, the things I'm learning in my life. I want to write. I want to share my actual life and not sugarcoat my existence. I don't want to make normal people like me feel like their story isn't pretty enough or trendy enough to share.

Are there people interested in learning about that?

Insecure me says no.

But, I'm hoping that she's just a bitch and I have something worth saying.

I guess all I can do is try?

Only problem with that is that I've tried and...I don't want to say "failed"...but, basically, yeah. I failed. I've had about a million unsuccessful blogs and just one time I want to make something I'm proud of.

I think that is the point of this whole exercise.

I need to write something I'm proud of.

For whatever reason, I'm proud of this post because I feel like I'm writing something that matters. I think I need to shut out negative influences and do what I do best:

write.

A Beautiful Weekend

Wow, I'm just so happy right now.

Happy like I just shook my groove thang in my bathroom mirror for fifteen minutes to Beyonce's We Like to Party.

Happy like I decided to go running at 8pm on a Sunday after watching Breaking Dawn at 1pm and taking an hour nap at 4pm.

Happy like I feel content and ready to take on the challenges of my world.

Because I've been so open about my life goals and dreams around here...ahem, see this post.... I want to share my current Life's Goals list.

In random order:

• Be a professional blogger (duh)
• Write a book
• Be a foster parent
• Travel (a lot)
• Start a free weight loss group for women that focuses on healthy habits, body image and simple ways to work health into your life
• Teach hip-hop exercise classes
• Have a loft apartment in a big city
• Have a weight loss feature in Shape Magazine

Of course, there are many other things I want, but these are my current musts. 

What about you?