I Choose You! (Finding the Perfect Prey for Interviews)

Have you ever had to interview someone?

I've done many for the yearbook and it's always a nerve-wracking experience. First off, I'm an introvert and quiet, so talking to strangers is not really my cup of tea. I go to events and then I sit there for, I don't know, five to ten minutes just staring at the crowd, trying to find the perfect person to start the process. The first one is not usually good, but it's a warm up, a test run of the night so that I can feel more comfortable just walking up to strangers.

And how do I pick this perfect prey?

With some small deductions, I usually look at who they are in relation to the crowd. Are they standing alone, are they looking at their phone? How far in do I have to go to reach them? What are they wearing (this can give me details like their college of study)? I like to pick the loners, the ones that are there, but at the moment have no one to talk to, they're not busy, they're just there, so I stroll on up and throw some half-garbled question while recording it on my phone.

Oh, I always ask beforehand if people don't mind being recorded, and for the most part, I think I take them by surprise so they don't think about it and mumble out a "sure, go ahead" before their mind can catch up with their mouth. It usually doesn't last a minute, a few seconds, a couple of questions, and I'm turning off the recorder and thanking them for their time. Then, I'm off to find my next prey.

Ask the "hard-hitting" questions, by that I mean, don't let them get away with a "yes" or "no" answer. Make them give you a statement, otherwise it's not worth talking to them anyway. People will say some amazing things on their feet, you just have to guide them in the right direction, not a manipulation, just a probe so that they're not throwing in lots of "Um" and "I guess" and "Yeah, sure."

Interviews also catch people in speech patterns, especially if you record it, you can listen to where they pause, how their words are ordered, stuff like that. It's good practice and although it's not natural dialogue, it still gives you a taste, so when you're working on dialogue for characters, learn the stumbles, the unnatural bits of conversation and just give the reader the good, entertaining parts.

I can't remember where I first learned it, but essentially dialogue is writing unrealistic conversations realistically. By that I mean, make it sound plausible, but interesting, where each line of dialogue has purpose and follows along with the story.