Description
Open to all.
Limited to 12 participants.
We plan to hold this workshop in person at the QWF office, with up to two virtual slots available for people who are unable to come to our office. If public health conditions necessitate it, this workshop may transition to a purely online model.
This two-part workshop will start with a discussion on the methods involved in a lively and thought-provoking author interview. Then, working in pairs, participants will prepare and present an interview, to be followed by an evaluation by the group, with a focus on constructive criticism.
Part One – Morning Session – The Method
10:00 – 11:00 Discussion
- how to structure and focus an interview
- how to prepare your questions
- how to introduce your guest
- the interviewer’s role
- how to deal with questions from the audience
- interviewing several authors at once
- short examples on video of various author interviews–what works and what doesn’t.
11:00-12:00 – Preparing the interview
Workshop participants will break up into pairs and decide on their interview topics; i.e., the participants will plan to interview each other about a book they have written, or about their career as a writer, or about the joys and challenges of the literary life, or some other related topic.
Participants will pre-interview their “teammate” to prepare for the actual 5- to 7-minute interview that will take place during the afternoon session. Participants will finalize the line of questioning for their interviews.
Part Two – Afternoon Session – Putting Theory Into Practice
1:o0 – 3:30 Participants take turns conducting their interviews. On each team, Person A interviews Person B, after which Person B interviews Person A. For example, with 8-10 participants, there will be 4-5 teams, and a total of 8-10 interviews.
After each interview, there will be a 5-minute discussion amongst all participants, with a focus on constructive criticism. Participants will be encouraged to use a method in which they stress the positive, identifying, for example, three aspects of the interview that were successful and one aspect that might be improved or done differently. (Research suggests that once people have received at least three positive comments they are more open to constructive criticism.)
3:30-4:00 pm At the end of the afternoon, there will be a general discussion summing up what the workshop participants learned, what techniques worked, what didn’t, what they would do differently.
TIME: 10:00 to 16:00
DURATION: Saturday, October 15, 2022
LOCATION: QWF Office–1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC
