Monday, May 18, 2009

Favorite Interview Questions

Today I'm compiling a list of interview questions that I intend to submit to Rick Reed, the author of the book I reviewed yesterday (see post below this). I have a standard set of questions that I have used on other interviews, but I thought it would be fun to get suggestions from other writers and readers as to what they look for in an author interview.

What are your favorite questions?
What do you like to know about authors?
And for writers, what kind of fun, off the wall questions have you answered?

If you’ve got a second, please leave a comment to give me your suggestions.
Thanks,
alan
.

8 comments:

C. Margery Kempe said...

I like questions that reveal more about the process, e.g. Do you have a schedule or daily word count? Do you have a specific location or do you move around? I also like to dig into the past a little: what's the first story you remember writing? Is there someone in your family who inspired you to write? Is there a book that made you want to be a writer rather than a reader?

How about: if you won the lottery tomorrow, would you still write? Would you write the same things?

Enid Wilson said...

What is the craziest thing you have done so far in your life?

Which character do you want to have dinner with?

Sexy romance by Enid Wilson

Patricia Stoltey said...

I always try to read at least one book the author has written, and then ask questions about one of more of the characters: Where did the character come from, is he like the author or someone the author knows, or perhaps someone the author would like to be?

Patricia
http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com

Elle Parker said...

I like a good mix of the personal questions, about who the writer is, the professional ones, about process and all that, and a few of the weird ones mixed in.

Sometimes the really off the wall ones can provoke some very interesting answers.

Elle Parker
http://elleparkerbooks.blogspot.com/

Jina Bacarr said...

I'm fascinated by the research a writer does to tell his story...especially if it's a historical.

Jina

http://tinyurl.com/BerlinSexDiary

Alexis Grant said...

I think it depends sometimes on what type of book the author has written. As a reader, I wonder: Does this plot or these characters stem from personal experience? What influenced the author as s/he wrote it?

Anonymous said...

I like a few "personal interest" questions - away from the book or the writing process. Like what are your hobbies or other interests and how do you feel they have affected your writing. Or if you weren't a writer what would you do - what other passions do you have in your life.

KK Brees said...

I like to know where the idea for the story came from. What's the genesis and how does it relate to the author's life.