Reflections on My First Interview

Today I conducted my first interview of the year for an article I am writing about Gordon's Campus Events Council (CEC). I brought my tape recorder, which has helped tremendously with capturing exact quotes, but I did not limit myself to it. I used my reporter's notebook, but also tried to make eye contact and not stare down at my writing too much. It's a difficult balance to achieve, and the process is intimidating at first! However, "Uncle" William Zinsser says in his book On Writing Well that interviewing will become less awkward over time, so I have hope. I am trying to listen back to the interview and organize my notes now before I forget everything! I'm bad with procrastination, so I want to end that habit before I even start. The tricky part is, of course, representing my subjects with accuracy and respect. Though the CEC isn't exactly the juiciest, most controversial story, I still don't want to accidentally implement my bias or misquote my subjects to match how I view the story. There's a lot to think about and consider, but I already feel like I've learned so much. Well, I'm off to another interview. That's right: two in one day. Jo really is throwing us into the river!