Doing Q&As

What do people think of running Q&As in print?

 

I'm partial or oral histories. :

Q&As are (IMO) lazy.
If you are a writer. Write. Get to the meat of the story and go from there.

 

Not everyone is a writer, right?

 

Like everything else, depends on the quality. I think the Rolling Stone and Playboy interviews have proven over the years that they can be tremendously entertaining and engaging. If they're written instead Q&As, same thing: If the questions are good, and the answers even better, they can be great reads.

 

I enjoy reading them, by and large, and I've done a few myself that received positive feedback. Those were (I felt) special subjects that were best told in the first-person.

However, I abhor the transcription process.

 

The editing is crucial. The Q&A format is not an excuse for overly long quotes that say little. Cutting a Q&A is a craft.

 

You may be from a small town, but you get it.

 

Did a series of Q&As and they were pretty well received.

Yeah, if you edit properly and trim the fat quote-wise, what's the problem? You're presenting the information to readers in a slightly different manner than your typical story and often transcribing is the hardest part of the process for the writer ... it's a win-win for both parties, IMO.

 

i have mixed feelings about them. They make good fillers for certain subjects but it isn't a cure all.

 

It's not a style you want to lean on or depend on, but if they're done well, they can be excellent and insightful pieces. Limiting their use is the key. We typically do it once a year, maybe twice, but NEVER with the same person.

 

It's not lazy if the questioner is prepared, the subject is engaging and the demand is right

 

They're best with subjects that can often be dry -- such as state of the department stuff with the local AD or similar administration folks. You can get all the info (When is that construction project starting? What's the focus this year for fundraising? What about that new NCAA rule/coach on the warm seat) out at one time, instead of 10 relatively boring 15-inch stories.