- When looking for story ideas, look for weird quirks or things that deviate from the normal routine of things.
- Have a pre-interview with your source. Get the basics of the situation and write follow-up questions based off of this.
- Be upfront with your sources. Lay out to them from the very beginning what you plan to do. If you want to write an inspirational and heartbreaking story about somebody dying of cancer, tell them. If you want to write an investigative story about somebody who broke a law or acted unethically, tell them you want to get their side of the story too.
- ACCESS IS KEY. Only with large amounts of access to your source's life and thoughts can you write an accurate story that captures the wealth of details you need to paint the picture. Find details that appeal to the senses or to the memory. Interview them in their natural habitat where they're most comfortable. Go follow your source where he/she does what you're writing about. Observe. Be a fly on the wall and stay out of their way. Ask, "Could I just come along? I'll be out of the way." Act as if you aren't even there.
- During the real interview, don't look down and write stuff down on a notepad. Have a real conversation with the person. Use a recorder to take notes for you.
- Schedule the interview when your source has lots of time, on a Saturday, perhaps. Set aside at least an hour. You don't want to have your source rushed; you want him/her to work completely naturally.
- Ask other sources for different perspectives. Your source may say she's the best soccer player on the team, but others may beg to differ.
- Above all, care about the people you're talking to. They're human too. Laugh when they tell a joke. Share your own stories with them when you find a connection with them. If they don't know anything about you by the end of the interview, you've failed.
Remember, features are meant to "illuminate lives lived in our time."
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