INTERVIEW – CHEAT SHEET

1. The title usually includes the name of the subject being interviewed, often with a reference to the main topics the interview will cover. 2. The author usually gets a heading directly beneath the title. 3. The actual interview itself should start with a short introduction that explains to the reader who is being interviewed, when and where the interview is taking place (to provide context), and what the main topics of the interview will be. 4. The rest of the interview looks very much like a transcript. * If the interviewer represents a specific group or magazine, his or her questions are usually prefaced with the name of the group or magazine instead of his or her name. * Alternatively, the interviewer's words can be prefaced with his own name. This could be both first and last name, or just a last name. * The subject's name precedes her responses. As with the interviewer, this could be both first and last name, or just a last name. * Frequently, after the first question and answer, the identifiers are abbreviated to initials.’ 5. Sometimes, a question or answer may be preceded by a context clue that will help the audience understand that there is more meaning going on than just the words themselves. Sometimes called a "parenthetical", these notes are usually in brackets (sometimes parentheses); they usually appear right after the speaker's name, although they can go in the middle of a question or answer if that is where the notation belongs.
The interview usually concludes with a question designed to provide an answer that gives closure to the overall interview.