Chapter 12 is a good review on interviewing

I mentioned that last night in class and figured I'd better get busy and let you know what I thought was worth highlighting in "Writing About People" in Zinsser's book. So here goes:

First off, a qualification on this passage: "Whatever form of nonfiction you write, it will come alive in proportion to the number of 'quotes' you can weave into it as you go along."

That seems in conflict with what editor Kathy said last night: "People don't always talk directly. They use extra words, etc. If you can say something more clearly than their quote, say it."

This also reminds me of something I heard said by Jacqui Banaszynski, former Seattle Times editor, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and a great teacher: "Some stories just string quotes together. I find that when I'm using a quote, I'm typing, not writing."

I could accept Zinsser's passage if he had said your work will come alive in proportion to the number of good quotes you can weave in. A great quote can't be beat for lending variety to your article, giving insight to a person or providing you with that perfect walk-off line for your ending.

And Zinsser does qualify his statement later in the chapter when he says, "Quotes are livelier when you break them up, making periodic appearances in your role as guide. You are still the writer -- don't relinquish control."

So now let's talk about where quotes come from, the interview. Like I said, some of this reviews what we have gone over in class. My list of interviewing advice to keep in mind from Zinsser:

"First, decide what person you want to interview . . . To learn the craft of nonfiction you must push yourself out into the real world . . . Choose as your subject someone whose job is so important, or so interesting, or so unusual that the average reader would want to read about that person."

"Never go into an interview without doing whatever homework you can."

"Make a list of likely questions."

"If your interview is on tape you become a listener . . . Be a writer. Write things down."

"When you get home, type out your notes." (Don't wait until you get home to fill in the gaps. As soon as you leave the interview, stop and write down everything you remember. Go through the "memory joggers" you wrote down and write out the information you had hoped would be jogged. Type your notes if it helps you do this "filling out" function. I don't unless I think my scrawls will not be readable to me tomorrow morning.)

"Your ethical duty to the person being interviewed is to present his position accurately . . . After that your duty is to the reader. He or she deserves the tightest package."

"Remember that you can call the person you interviewed. Tell him you want to check a few of the things he said. Get him to rephrase his points until you understand them. Don't become a prisoner of your quotes -- so lulled by how wonderful they sound that you don't stop to analyze them. Never let anything go out into the world that you don't understand."

Finally, Zinsser gives good advice on pages 110 and 111 on where to put the attribution in a quote: "When you use a quotation, start the sentence with it. Don't lead up to it with a vapid phrase saying what the man said. . . . Do it (add the attribution) as soon as you naturally can, so that the reader knows who is talking, but not where the break will destroy the rhythm or the meaning."

So that would be: "When you use a quotation," Zinsser said, "start the sentence with it."

Assignment note: Read chapters 14 and 17 in "Economical Writing," send me your questions for Daniel James Brown, do chapter 6 in "Writing Tools" (Exercises 1 and 2) and keep working on your 700-word assignment due Nov. 16.

The photo with this post came from "Inside Reporting: A practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism" by Tim Harrower. It's a great book that I have used in teaching classes on reporting.