One of the most common feelings towards interviewing is fear. It is a shared emotion affecting both the interviewer and the person being interviewed. A good way to approach this fear is to make your first few interviews with folks that you already know, and topics that you are comfortable with. After you have completed a few, you'll see that most often they can be fun and relaxed conversations, and that there is no need to fear them. As your interviewing skills grow with practice, so will your confidence level.

A fact that is often overlooked in interviewing is that you, as the person conducting the interview, should lead the way.  It's your responsibility to listen and to keep the talk flowing. It is best to have your questions prepared in advance, and practice them out loud a few times before the interview begins. In this way you will feel more confident and in control.

The interview must remain interesting, for yourself, your subject, and ultimately for your reader. To achieve this - try to build a rapport with the subject.  This will make you feel much more at ease, as well as ease the tensions of your subject. If you are relaxed and confident, the interview will proceed with fewer hitches, and be smoother - this in turn will ease the subject. You shouldn't however, go overboard and abandon all convention, formality has its place in interviews. While familiarity is your ultimate goal - the best way to reach this goal is by showing respect to the person you are interviewing.

Try not to monopolize the conversation, especially in the beginning. Remember you are just the reporter, the person you are chatting with is the one you want your reader to care about. Encourage the subject to talk as much as possible, while remembering they are, more than likely, just as nervous as you are. Don't be rigid and unbending in the direction the interview takes, allow the subject to lead, listen, and then follow - up with your original line of questioning. If they give answers that are too general for your liking, or that will provide boring copy - allow them to finish their response, then follow-up gently with a more probing question. One technique that sometimes helps here is to recall an amusing or entertaining story you've heard regarding the person you're interviewing. This shows them that you do know who they are, that you have a genuine interest in them, and makes them feel more confident in you and your ability. With this gained confidence comes trust, and with trust, more revealing answers can be given.

If your interview contains topics that might be touchy, or that your subject shows great reluctance to discuss, it can make the interview extremely difficult to conduct. This is hard for even the most experienced interviewers. You must bring sensitivity and patience to the interview with you and then display these at all times. There are several ways to handle touchy subject matters. In a playful and almost friendly way you say, " Okay, let me be the Devil's advocate here.... did you really sleep with your best friends dog? " or try blaming the question on some innocuous third party, " You know what others are saying... that you slept with your best friends dog..."

In these touchy situations - an old 12 step approach can come in handy. In 12 step programs they tell you to "act as if."  What this means is, if you're scared "act as if" you're confident,- if you're unhappy "act as if " you're joyous. In the case of an interview - especially one with touchy questions -   it helps to "act as if" you know more than you do. If the subject thinks you know something already that he is reluctant to share - this act can convince him that he won't be spilling the beans, and he may open right up - providing you the information you were seeking.

When all else fails... ask a straightforward question, and then follow that up by reminding the subject that to readers silence can imply guilt, or at least result in speculation of innocence.

Using these tips may help you gain confidence in approaching interviews. The best advice is to remember that we are all human, and we all have the same fears, same dreams and goals. Remembering this can serve to ease you into the interview, while providing you with enough compassion and understanding to allow you to ease the interviewee into it as well.

Leslie was founder and editor for Bearlife Women's Writing Advocate. She closed the business in May 1997 after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Since that time she has started and edits one of the most prestigious literary journals on the internet, A Writer's Choice (I.S.S.N. 1521-2319) at http://members.spree.com/writer/. Her work currently appears in Maelstrom, Rose & Thorn, The Lewisville Poetry Guild Anthology, Down Under, The Writers Hood, Thin Wire Journal, and she is also featured in the debut of the new print publication, PenTellers.

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