SmithWriting Blog

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing a wide range of subjects, from MIT astronomers and Hollywood producers to cancer survivors and city mayors. Although each person was unique, they all had fascinating stories to tell—and I had the lucky job of evoking them.

Next time you’re conducting an interview, consider following these guidelines and your conversation is sure to be a success.

Be informed.

And I don’t just mean Google your subject 10 minutes before you’re scheduled to meet. When I prepare for an interview, I spend a significant amount of time getting to know my subject. Sure, I Google them. But I also read their blogs or watch their movies. And I always read what other people have written about them. Only then can I formulate intelligent questions and conduct a productive, meaningful interview.

Be logical.

Ask questions in a manner that makes sense to both you and your subject. I always outline my story ahead of time and then pose questions in the order I’d like my piece to take. Then, when an interview is done, I’m left with information and quotes that I can easily mold into a first draft. Likewise, be logical with your tone and word choice. You wouldn’t ask the same questions of a schoolchild as you would of a CEO. Well, maybe you would, but you’d certainly phrase them differently. Interviews are definitely not one-size-fits-all.

Be considerate.

I like to let an interviewee know ahead of time how long I think our conversation will take. That way, we both clear our calendars and can avoid interruptions. You don’t want to be rolling along with a great interview and have to walk away because you or your subject has another appointment. Also, be considerate of your subject’s comfort level. It’s pretty easy for us to sit there and shoot probing questions at someone; I can’t imagine it’s easy to spout sensible answers off the top of your head.

Be smart.

Unfortunately, you never know when you’re going to have to defend something you’ve written. The last thing you want is to be accused of misquoting someone: It could lead to bad blood, loss of a job, or worse. Depending on the context, I usually tape record my interviews (with my subject’s permission, of course). That way, I have a clear record of what an interviewee said—and an equally clear conscience.

Be flexible.

I used to get frustrated when an interviewee would go off on a tangent and veer away from my pre-established list of questions. But I’ve found that I sometimes get my best material when I just sit back and let the interviewee take the lead. The more comfortable a person is, the more information they’re apt to share with you. Learn to go with the flow of conversation.

Be thorough.

At the end of every interview, I give my subject a chance to tell me anything I may not have asked about. A lot of folks prepare for interviews ahead of time, so it’s nice to give them an opportunity to share what they think is most important—on the off-chance you didn’t lead them there already.

For some more fabulous insights on interviewing, click on over to Words on the Page and Rogue Ink. These ladies really know what they’re talking about!

Filed by rebecca at 11:58 am under Copywriting
4 Comments

As a writer, I’m constantly trying to improve the quality of my work. I find that one of the easiest—and most enjoyable—ways to become a better writer is to expand one’s lexicon. Here are some of the ways to do just that:

1. Read

Newspapers, memoirs, how-to books. No matter what the genre, all written works have the power to increase our vocabulary. Next time you pick up a book, take note of the terms you don’t recognize and look them up in a dictionary. Then make it a point to use those new words every day for a week. You’ll be surprised how quickly they become part of your lexicon.

2. Watch Jeopardy!

I learn at least one new word every time I watch Jeopardy! And it’s not only the vocabulary-related categories that are informative; I learn just as much about words from “Amphibious Invasions” as I do from “‘Homophonic Pairs.” Hey, if I can’t win $50,000, at least I can walk away with an enriched vocabulary!

3. Subscribe to the Word of the Day

Most online dictionaries offer free email delivery of their Word of the Day. I use The Free Dictionary by Farlex. I like it because it gives more than a simple definition; it provides synonyms and uses the new word in a sentence. I love it because I don’t have to do anything: My vocabulary lesson is sitting in my inbox every morning when I log on.

4. Do crossword puzzles

I am a Sunday morning crossword puzzle junkie. Pencil in one hand, coffee in the other, I relish in the challenge of filling in those tiny squares. And despite my occasional frustration, it’s all worth it for that glorious moment when that obscure word I learned while prepping for the SATs comes back to me—and fits.

5. Play word games

There are lots of great word games available online. Me, I prefer working with something tangible, like those wooden letter blocks in Scrabble. But if no one’s up for a board game, I’m just as happy unscrambling the newspaper’s Jumble puzzle.

Filed by rebecca at 9:45 am under Copywriting, For the love of words
No Comments

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a little perplexed by the Caps Lock key on my computer’s keyboard. I understand its purpose—to allow a user to type multiple capital letters without having to hold down the oh-so-heavy Shift key—but its relevance is beyond me.

Who’s typing that many sequential capital letters? With the advent of content management systems and cascading style sheets, do we really need the Caps Lock key anymore? Couldn’t that space on the keyboard be put to better use, say with a Finish My Document For Me key?

According to usability experts, text written in all capital letters slows down a user’s reading speed. On the Web, readers tend to gloss over all-caps sections of text and ignore the content—the complete opposite effect of what the Caps Lock-pressing author intended.

And I think we’ll all agree that when we receive a text message, IM, or email in all caps, we get the sneaking suspicion that the sender is SHOUTING AT US.

Well, apparently I’m not alone in my disdain for the Caps Lock key. In fact, there are organized groups of people out there who are lobbying for its removal from standard keyboards.

CAPSoff.org calls the key “ludicrous” and has an open letter to keyboard manufacturers on its site. anticAPSLOCK.com founder Linus McCabe refers to the key in question as a “bug” and, together with CAPSoff, has declared war on Caps Lock. There are all sorts of online tools and instructions for disabling the Caps Lock key. And some radicals have gone so far as to physically remove it from their keyboard.

In time, I believe the antiCapsLockers will win out and the Caps Lock key will go the way of the floppy disk drive. Until then, keep that left pinky under control and use caution with your capital letters. PLEASE.

Filed by rebecca at 7:22 am under Copywriting, Grammar guide
6 Comments

As a copywriter, I often meet people who aren’t familiar with my occupation. Just the other day, while lying in the dentist’s chair, my hygienist asked me what I do for a living. When I told her I was a copywriter, she paused, smiled politely, and then asked, “What exactly do you do?” I subsequently entered into a not-so-short lecture on what copywriters do—and do not do.

(OK, so maybe I was trying to stall her, but that’s not the point.)

What’s ironic to me is that although many people are not familiar with the copywriting profession, most of us are very familiar with a copywriter’s work. In fact we encounter it every day—in a magazine, over the radio, on TV, online.

Put simply, copywriters write copy (with copy defined as “words to be printed or spoken”).

Any advertisement, Web site, brochure, user manual, newsletter, or direct mailing you’ve seen or heard was written by a copywriter. (The layout, graphics, coding—basically anything other than the words—was most likely done by a graphic design professional or Web developer.)

Some copywriters are employed in-house by organizations or advertising agencies, while others (like me) work for themselves as freelancers, writing for numerous clients in various industries. Personally, I prefer the flexibility of self-employment and the freshness of working with each unique client.

Here’s a quick rundown of what copywriters do and do not do:

Copywriters do: write persuasive marketing materials to help promote and sell products.

Copywriters do not: have any clue about copyright law (at least not the copywriters I know).

Copywriters do: educate various constituencies by writing clear, informative Web sites.

Copywriters do not: photocopy documents for a fee.

Copywriters do: engage and motivate audiences with compelling copy.

Copywriters do not: copy the writing of others (this would be illegal and would merit the services of someone skilled in copyright law …).

Copywriters do: inspire readers to take action.

Learn more about what I do at SmithWriting.com.

Filed by rebecca at 2:47 pm under Copywriting
1 Comment