One of my favorite parts of conducting Storied interviews is watching people relax as they start sharing. A former social work supervisor used to constantly remind me that when working with people it is about the process and not the end product. I agree wholeheartedly with these wise words...AND my goal with Storied is to make both the interview process feel comfortable AND the final edited audio product something enjoyable to listen to.
The word “interview” has always felt a bit too formal for what I do. Given that economy of words has never been my strong suit, I thought that I should use a word that sums things up quickly. Eventually, I hope to transition to using the word “conversation.” That is what it feels like to me—a conversation that is a bit more structured. And recorded.
What to expect with a remote conversation:
Zencastr, the platform I use to record conversations, looks similar to Zoom. We will be able to see each other but only the audio tracks get recorded.
When we both are on the platform, I will go over some housekeeping things—reminding you that the whole interview will be edited afterwards so nothing has to sound perfect, you can skip any questions you want, I will send you the edited version to listen and you can request any changes after that, etc.
I usually start to saying the date so that the conversation has a timestamp on it.
From there, it is just us chatting.
What to expect with in-person conversations:
All of the above, minus Zencastr and plus chairs, microphones, and headphones.
Also, a lap dog, if you want one.
At some level it is just semantics--whether you call it an interview or conversation just know that I will do whatever I can to make you feel comfortable chatting.
Warmly,
becca
P.S. Friendly reminder for the chatty loved one in your life...gift certificates make a great gift!
