Part 2 of my interview with Barbara Large is now up on Chandler's Ford Today. Barbara shares a wealth of advice for all writers and it was great to meet up with her again. Hope you enjoy the post.
But this post also led me to think about fictional interviews. Certain things would be the same regardless of what world you're in/reading about. Those with helpful advice tend to share generously and their interviews are a wonderful read. Those who are full of themselves... well it ends up being a puff piece and I can't be the only one who is totally turned off by that kind of thing.
In my magical realm, Roherum from the Fairy News Network would conduct the interviews (he'd ensure nobody else got a look in and is not afraid to cheat, magically or otherwise, to achieve that). He is not one of life's confrontational questioners, believing to get the best out of an interviewee, you have to "soften" them up a bit and then they'll open up. He's not entirely wrong here. This approach can work on many an interviewee.
But his colleagues at FNN do regard him as having a yellow streak for not wanting to put the challenging questions, especially to those members of the Council who occasionally deign to be interviewed. (What his colleagues don't say is most of them wouldn't put the challenging questions either. All of the Council are magically powerful and nobody wants to cross swords unnecessarily with them. Or should that be cross wands?!).
Fictional interviews of course must be relevant to the story and should show more about the interview and interviewee that would not come across in the tale in any other way. They can also be used as a way to convey information, via dialogue, that seems natural. But the interview must serve a purpose in moving the story onwards and upwards towards its conclusion.
But this post also led me to think about fictional interviews. Certain things would be the same regardless of what world you're in/reading about. Those with helpful advice tend to share generously and their interviews are a wonderful read. Those who are full of themselves... well it ends up being a puff piece and I can't be the only one who is totally turned off by that kind of thing.
In my magical realm, Roherum from the Fairy News Network would conduct the interviews (he'd ensure nobody else got a look in and is not afraid to cheat, magically or otherwise, to achieve that). He is not one of life's confrontational questioners, believing to get the best out of an interviewee, you have to "soften" them up a bit and then they'll open up. He's not entirely wrong here. This approach can work on many an interviewee.
But his colleagues at FNN do regard him as having a yellow streak for not wanting to put the challenging questions, especially to those members of the Council who occasionally deign to be interviewed. (What his colleagues don't say is most of them wouldn't put the challenging questions either. All of the Council are magically powerful and nobody wants to cross swords unnecessarily with them. Or should that be cross wands?!).
Fictional interviews of course must be relevant to the story and should show more about the interview and interviewee that would not come across in the tale in any other way. They can also be used as a way to convey information, via dialogue, that seems natural. But the interview must serve a purpose in moving the story onwards and upwards towards its conclusion.
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