I always start by trying to find some common ground with the subject — working mother? school age children? used to live in San Francisco? Tell them something about yourself that puts you on equal footing. Additionally, if you’re 100 percent sure it’s a friendly interview (lie about this and you’ll lose all credibility) then say so. I think many people’s biggest concern is that you’re somehow out to make them look bad.

Think of your questions as conversation starters. Go back to them if things get slow, but don’t be afraid to see where they take you. If there are questions you HAVE to have answers to, highlight them in your notes.

Like a few of the above, I always ask at the end – “is there anything you want to tell me that I didn’t ask about?”

I always start by trying to find some common ground with the subject — working mother? school age children? used to live in San Francisco? Tell them something about yourself that puts you on equal footing. Additionally, if you’re 100 percent sure it’s a friendly interview (lie about this and you’ll lose all credibility) then say so. I think many people’s biggest concern is that you’re somehow out to make them look bad.

Think of your questions as conversation starters. Go back to them if things get slow, but don’t be afraid to see where they take you. If there are questions you HAVE to have answers to, highlight them in your notes.

Like a few of the above, I always ask at the end – “is there anything you want to tell me that I didn’t ask about?”

1. Research. The more you know about the topic/interviewee the better. When I was first starting out as a journalist, I used to think I was interviewing the person to learn from them, so it was OK if I didn’t know that much about the topic. However, I’ve learned now that the more research you do, the more informed and specific your questions can be and the more the subject respects you in the end.

2. Listen. This is key. It’s very easy to have your list of questions and just ask them one after another, even if it’s not logical to the conversation you’re having. Instead, use your questions as a guide, but let the conversation flow naturally. Like other posters have said, this can be where you get the best stuff. And you can always come back to your skipped questions later. This is also the tricky part though, because this means you may have to deviate from the script, which can be a little intimidating. But practice makes it easier.

1. Research. The more you know about the topic/interviewee the better. When I was first starting out as a journalist, I used to think I was interviewing the person to learn from them, so it was OK if I didn’t know that much about the topic. However, I’ve learned now that the more research you do, the more informed and specific your questions can be and the more the subject respects you in the end.

2. Listen. This is key. It’s very easy to have your list of questions and just ask them one after another, even if it’s not logical to the conversation you’re having. Instead, use your questions as a guide, but let the conversation flow naturally. Like other posters have said, this can be where you get the best stuff. And you can always come back to your skipped questions later. This is also the tricky part though, because this means you may have to deviate from the script, which can be a little intimidating. But practice makes it easier.

Now that the person is comfortable talking and has said what they really wanted to share, you can ask more complex or challenging questions. You shouldn’t have a list of questions, you should have a list of areas of discussion you’d like to touch on. Don’t adhere to a strict list of questions because then it indicates to the guest that the list is more important to you than listening to her/his responses. This a typical mistake for beginning interviewers because most people are nervous when they do this the first few times and it is easier to follow a script than give up control.

Now that they’ve had their chance to tell the story they wanted to tell and you have a well-researched list of topics you think would be interesting to cover, listen, really listen to his/her answers and draw your questions from what has just been shared with you.

A lot of times when I interview, someone is reluctant to answer a very direct question. But if you can get them to relax & just talk, you can pick up on things they are saying (the mention of a colleague, their first book, a favorite teacher, where they love to vacation, the biggest obstacle they faced, etc.), and ask a follow-up question which can draw information out. I have to say that I always develop the best rapport and people reveal the most candid information in follow-up questions. It shows that you are really listening to what they are saying and what the guest is sharing is more important to you than following a script.

So, research and have a list of “possible” topics (always more than you need), get the guest to tell the story they want to tell, gently work your way to any awkward, challenging or direct questions by listening to what they are saying and take your lead from the verbal and bodily cues (often tone of voice) that you are picking up.

And never go too long! Don’t make the guest feel like they are trapped because you want to ask every question. If you make the interview a pleasant, bonding experience, it will be easy to schedule a follow-up interview to address any areas that you didn’t have time to touch on or any questions that occur to you later. Respect the amount of time the person has allotted to talk to you and don’t push for more…it’s easier to come back than to change the bad impression that you are a selfish interviewer.

Luckily, probably 90% of the time, I end up with too much material or run out of time. The biggest challenge is when you have a guarded guest, someone who is miserly in giving out information or who is suspicious of you, your project or your motives. That can be an impossible situation but that could be the topic for another comment one day.