If you don’t get a readable story from your next interview, it’s probably your fault.

What I’m going to share with you are questions we developed for our writers after an interview that looked like it was going no where. 

A reader had asked us to talk with a gardener who had become a tutor to others like herself.

We sat in her garden and talked about why anyone would want to get dirt under their finger nails.

The interview wasn’t going to produce anything anyone would want to read.

Finally, about twilight, I asked, “Celeste, what’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?”

The question touched a nerve. Her face showed that she did not have to search deeply. The film reel was turning in her head.

“It was about this time of day,” she said. “My husband was across the highway on his tractor.

“I was in the kitchen watching as he turned on his tractor headlights. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the headlights of a big truck.

“I prayed my husband or the driver would see each other’s lights. They didn’t. By the time the ambulance arrived, my husband was gone.”

Some time it takes lots of questions to produce dramatic answers. Here are 20 questions:

1. Tell me about growing up. Where were you born? Who were your parents? How they influenced you?
2. How about your schooling? Who were the best teachers and what did you learn from them?
3. Who was the worst teacher? What did you learn from that experience? 
4. What did you like best about school? How did that shape your life?
5. Who were your friends as you grew up? What influence have they had? 
6. What were your chores as a child? What did you learn from doing them?
7. What was your first real job? What was it like? How did it benefit you?
8. When did you decide what you wanted to be when you grew up? Did you set goals? How did you pursue them and what resulted?
9. Researchers say all of us will have multiple careers in our lives. Tell me about yours. 
10. What are your goals this year? What do you think you’ll be doing a year or two from now? 
11. Did you have a crush on anyone as a teenager? What was he or she like?
12. How did you meet your spouse? What have you learned from him or her?
13. Tell me about your children. How about your grandchildren?
14. Are you a religious person? How would you describe your religious beliefs? 
15. How critical is money in your life? What do you want the money for? 
16. What hobbies or non-work interests do you have? Are there any you would like to develop? 
17. Who do you most admire? Why? How has this influenced your own conduct? Who else do you admire? What character traits do they have that you admire?
18. What do you read for pleasure? What kind of music and art do you like? Why?
19. What’s the  best thing that ever happened to you? And what’s the worst? 
20. What questions do you have for me?

I’ve added #21: Do you believe in life after death? If you do, who would you want to meet? 

Next: Give pace and flow to your writing

The above appears in The Art of Compelling Writing, Volume 1. It’s available at Amazon.com for $9.99. The author, a well-known writing coach and retired newspaper owner, wrote this book to help editors like you teach your reporters how to write well. 

Sales proceeds go to adult literacy tutoring. You can change lives by helping us teach reading and writing.

To comment or ask questions, please write JerryBellune@yahoo.com. He would like to hear from you.