The difference between holding a flower and holding its picture is the difference between conducing a face-to-face interview and an email interview. In the first case you can see the flower from different angles; in the second case you can only see it from the angle the photo was taken.

Increasingly in the field of media, writers send out interview questions via email, receive well-written answers and craft their stories in less than an hour. Though there is nothing wrong with this practice and it often keeps your writing focused and structured, it can also take away from the author’s learning process. Here are three immediate advantages emerging from the traditional face-to-face interview:

Drawing Vivid Images
All good writers draw vivid images and present details in their pieces. The source’s hand gesture and facial expressions, for instance, often tell more than his or her words.

Directing the Conversation
When you are conducting a face-to-face interview, you have the power to direct the conversation. If your source doesn’t have much to say about question number one, rephrase the wording and find a different angle. If your source gets super excited about another subject you didn’t think of beforehand, let the conversation flow in that direction, or subtly move away from it. It is your call!

Feel Enriched
Meeting a new person and learning about someone else’s story is always an enriching experience. A face-to-face interview puts you in your source’s shoes and leaves you thinking about his or her life. What’s more human than that?

So, writers, feel free to mix up your face-to-face interviews with phone and email inquiries. But, please, come back to holding the flower, not its picture.

Photo Credit: jannemei