“Let Me Ask You a Question” – The Art of the Interview

Saturday, May 2nd, 2:30-5:30 p.m.
$55 members/$65 non-members    San Francisco

Special Package Deal: Take this afternoon Interviewing workshop along with Cary’s morning “Breaking into Magazine Writing” workshop and get a discount: $95 for members, $115 for non-members.  You must be sure to select the “Breaking into Mags/Interviewing” option when you register.

“In order to write a good magazine article, you have to do good research,” says instructor Cary Pepper. “And part of doing good research is doing a good interview. In this class you’ll learn: how to get that interview…the pros and cons of interviewing in person and by phone…how to prepare so you’re at your best… techniques for getting good quotations…how to control an interview…what to do when things don’t go as planned…how to make the most of unexpected moments…and what to do if an interview begins to go bad.

“I still remember the first interview I did. I was terrified. I also remember an interview I did many years later. That one ended in a group hug. Interviews can be challenging, they can be fun, or they can be anything in between. And whatever an interview turns out to be, you have to make it work for you. There are lots of ways to do that. You just have to know what they are.”

By the end of the class, you’ll be a whole lot savvier on how to tackle one of the most important elements of good magazine writing—and get the outcome you want when you utter those all-important words: “I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Cary Pepper has been a freelance writer for 40 years. He’s published dozens of articles in such publications as The New York Times, TV Guide, Premiere, Advertising Age, Town and Country, and Mad. He’s interviewed movie stars, corporate executives, filmmakers, food stylists, therapists, security experts, and ranchers. He’s also an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He has taught writing at Media Alliance, the San Francisco Art Institute, and privately.