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genevawren38 · 2 months

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Fit & Bagi's conversation transcript about Philza and what ails him today (02/28/2024);

[/rp from 2 hours and 32 minutes in FitMC's VOD (2:32-2:42)]

FitMC : So have you heard any fofoca recently? Got any gossip, tea, drama? Anything?

Bagi : I haven't heard fofoca recently at least about me because I am waiting for y'know Tina to check her room, so we can have some new fofoca?

F : I see, I see, okay.

B : But um, do you know what's happening to Phil?

F : All I know, with Phil, ever since that stuff appeared on his shoulders he has been acting strange. His kids were both really worried about him. When I brought up a sensitive topic he seemed to get really upset with Tallulah, so I'm just—I don't think he is himself recently. Something is definitely bothering him or something's up.

Empanada : It's bad.

F : I don't know, what do you think? *Both read Em's sign.*

B : I agree with Empanada, it's really bad. Because Chayanne and Tallulah were really upset, like it didn't look like Phil. He seemed different, like maybe possessed?

F : Yeah, maybe, maybe.

B : With some disease, I don't know. And they ran away from him.

F : Which is definitely not normal.

B : That's really sad because Chayanne and Tallulah really really love Phil. And Phil looked like he was trying to get away from them. Going inside of dungeons alone and leaving them in the house. I don't know all weird, the weird thing about his shoulders, the purple thing on his shoulders, it looks like that crying obsidian you know?

F : Oh, wait a min—cause it's got like the purple in it?

B : Yeah, that glows a little bit?

F : Ramon do you have a crying obsidian on you? Put it on the ground, I just want to look at it real quick.

B : And I think they had one of those inside the lake, the little lake they have next to their house.

F : Oh interesting. It's like the same colour of purple.

B : Yeah. Do you think its a type of corruption or something? Like what happened to Slime when he was being—well I don't know...transformed by codes?

F : Oh, yeah. Mhm, I remember that. That seems to happen on this island, doesn't it?

B : Yea. Like a contamination or something.

F : Yea it could be a disease, yeah definitely he wasn't himself. *Looks at the obsidian again* But yeah, it looks the colour purple is almost identical to what was on him.

E : Crying obsidian sucks.

Ramon : So crying obsidian is toxic?

B : I don't think so. But maybe a piece of crying obsidian appearing at his place could mean something?

F : Hmmm, maybe.

B : It's not normal to have crying obsidian inside of lakes.

F : It's an unusual place for it to spawn.

B : Yeah, exactly. So it was put in there but, why? Just for decoration or different purposes? I mean it could be just decoration.

F : It's—it's a weird decoration if that's true.

E : I asked him on our birthday and he said its nothin'. I asked him why there was one in his pond it was there on our birthday.

B : Wait, Empanada, did he answer you?

F : He said it's nothing...hmmmm.

E : He said not to worry about it an its nothing :(

F : It must have some significance then it has too.

B : He said not to worry about, maybe it really...I don't know the meaning of this because I never went to the nether. Everyone talks about the nether but I was never there.

F : Yeah but crying obsidian is also useful for making weapons cause it can make respawn anchors which can be used as explosives.

B : Oh you remind me of something. Okay, okay let me try to remember this...Phil had a diamond backpack that the 'Federation' gave to him?

F : Yeah, yeah must be nice.

B : No but it's really weird because the Federation isn't giving anyone anything because they want us to buy stuff.

E : Chay burned it.

B : That was really weird because the backpack came with a letter from the Federation, but not sure if its from the Federation. And a really weird backpack, a diamond backpack and the bunnies are trying to sell us everything so it doesn't even make sense for them to give Phil a diamond backpack. They would at least charge something, like, give me at least a thousand coins for the backpack, I don't know.

F : So you are saying that Phil didn't get it from the Federation?

B : I think maybe its something else, not the Federation.

F : I didn't even think of that.

B : He got a backpack from someone because think about it, the bunnies they don't even give us free food. Every time we need food they aren't even giving us food. Why would they give us diamond backpacks, that doesn't even make sense?

F : You are absolutely right. Like, I didn't even think of that.

B : If you stop to think about it, the shoulders and the back was exactly the place he was contaminated. So maybe it's related to the backpack?

F : You are right, it was all over his back, I didn't even think of that.

E : I listened to Phil's and Lulah's convo and he said he did it to protect them from HIM

[Fit mutes and tells chat : You ever talk to someone and just be like 'I'm fucking stupid?' That's how I feel right now.]

B : Oh yeah, I remember that Phil said that he was trying to protect the kids from 'him'. And he said a couple times the word him but no one in specific that we know, I think. It was always 'him'.

F : But he specifically said 'him', right?

B : Yeah, don't know who 'him' is but he was talking about 'him'.

R : Tio Phil was being a little harsh on Chay and Lulah.

E : He got really mad at Tallulah.

F : You might be onto something Bagi, maybe it is some sort of like he is being possessed or something.

B : Here Fit, check this *gestures to Em's sign*

E : Called her a stupid egg HE WOULD NEVER

F : *Reads aloud the sign* Oh you are absolutely right, Phil would never call any of his children stupid. Something is up, yup.

B : So if you see Phil and he's kinda weird, that's probably what's happening.

F : Well I am glad we had this chit chat so we are both on the same page. Okay we need to be really careful.

B : If he needs anything, oh yeah, and we need to be careful that's right. Because we don't know what he is up to.

F : Cause yeah if he's berating his own eggs, insulting his own eggs, it could turn south very quickly.

*Ramon nods*

F : I'm worried, Ramon.

E : Don't ask him questions, he will think they told us more.

F : Never a dull moment on this island.

B : We should keep the kids safe. Chay and Tallulah can stay here if they need, they already know that but if they need anything they can come to us.

F : That's a good idea yeah, as long as they have somewhere to go.

B : I mean for now I really don't know if I can help Phil, so I am just trying to keep the kids safe.

F : That's the most important.

B : The real Philza would appreciate it.

F : Yeah, keeping the kids safe that is the first priority. That's good stuff, isn't that right you two? *Addressing Em and Ramon who nod.*

B : I think Phil needs to deal with it.

F : It's always something on this island, Bagi, it's always something.

B : There's always something.

[Bonus transcript between Fit and Ramon 3:09-3:12 relating to Philza's affliction]

Fit : Ramon.

*Ramon nods after they both teleport home from BBH's place*

F : When we were talking with Bagi about Philza it made me realise something. I remember, a long time ago, this was a few months ago, remember when I was dealing with all the black concrete? Like all the dark matter that was on the island?

I specifically remember Philza mentioning a thing. If I recall correctly, he mentioned something called the 'Ender King'. And I am starting to wonder if maybe that's what's been messing with him. Cause think about it; the crying obsidian, the obsidian, that's what you find in the End Dimension, right?

*Ramon nods*

F : This things called the Ender King...he thought he was seeing things and we thought maybe he was just imagining them—but now we can see there is something on him. Something we can see with our own eyes. I just wonder if it's related.

Ramon : So now it's not only in his mind?

F : Exactly cause at first we thought maybe he was just imagining these things but it's clear this is actually some sort of outside force. And that's why I am a little bit more concerned now. That's why I am way more concerned.

R : That sounds dangerous. Not only for him but everyone.

F : Yeah, cause if his behaviour towards Tallulah and Chayanne yesterday, or the other day, is any indication then this could be a problem for a lot of us. So we really gotta keep our eye on him and support him anyway we can.

F : *sighs* But, man, when it rains it pours. Cause we have our own problems to deal with, Ramon. Especially tomorrow, I mean Friday. I can't ever remember what day it was, I am so frazzled. So much going on at all times on this island. When it rains it pours.

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thessalian · 1 year

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Thess vs Boomer Jobs

There’s a thing I overheard today that’s probably going to live in my head rent-free for a good long while. It is going to bug me.

I was in the break room at work, making myself a coffee, and some of the lab techs were having a chat over lunch. One of them was talking about how she and her friend had got tickets to some art thing, and went for the free wine and good art. Standing in the queue, they ended up in front of some tech bro from Montreal of all places (which is probably why I started tuning in to this conversation a bit more - few enough people talk about the city of my birth, especially around here), who through his commentary let them know that this wasn’t just an art exhibition but some kind of NFT-related thing. So this tech bro is talking at them about the whole thing and the lab tech goes, “Look, we’re just here for the free wine and the pretty art. I work in a hospital.” At which point, dudebro becomes douchebro with one sentence that just irritates the everliving fuck out of me:

“Ooooooooh; you have a Boomer job.”

A ... Boomer job?

Really?

I mean, let’s start with the fact that technically, Boomers are either retired or damn near it, at least if we’re going strictly by age. From there, we lead into the most important part of this: if Boomers are retired or retiring, that work that they were doing still needs to be done. If it’s not Boomers doing the job, how the fuck is it a Boomer job? I mean, you can’t segregate jobs by age range beyond “You must be this old to be gainfully employed”.

I know what this dickwaffle meant, though. He meant “boring”. He meant “tedious”. You know, not the high-flying NFT-trading, blockchain-bouncing fuckery which pretends to make good on the promise of ‘money for nothing’. He means a steady paycheque and a job you can actually explain to people. He means a job that involves actual labour and existed before he was born.

I just have to wonder ... does he think that everyone who isn’t a Boomer shouldn’t have a Boomer job? If he thinks that, does he have the remotest clue how those very necessary jobs would get done without someone, regardless of age, to do them? I mean, my job doesn’t sound like much sometimes but I’ve seen companies try to get along on voice recognition software alone. In fact, one of my longer-running jobs involved less transcribing someone’s dictation and more listening to someone’s dictation and fixing the absolute fuck-up the voice recognition software made of it. I cannot be replaced by a computer. Nor can lab techs. Nor can a lot of people.

I get that we’re taking Boomer as a derogatory now. But calling something a ‘Boomer job’ because it doesn’t have the same dubious cachet as a pyramid scheme on all the wrong kinds of drugs is just stupid.

#Thess has a day job #Thess also apparently has a Boomer job

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felicia-cat-hardy · 3 years

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My 'Pretty Little Liars' Obsession Led Me To My Best Friend

“Got a secret, can you keep it?” Well, I’ve got one: Though Pretty Little Liars ended in 2017, the seven-season mystery thriller schemed its way into being an integral part of my life for the long haul, so much so that the opening credits live in my head rent-free. To this day, each time I hear the sinister theme song — “Secret” by The Pierces — I’m brought right back to my childhood comfort show (ahem, obsession). The visuals begin with a swipe of mascara, the smear of red lipstick, and a clasp of a heel onto a porcelain doll, which makes me feel like I’m watching someone get pampered for prom. Until, of course, it cuts to four girls standing in front of a casket. It's a chilling moment, one that, until Season 6B, ended with Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale) delivering her iconic “shh.” I got cast under the show’s spell the first time I saw it, and I wasn’t the only one: Pretty Little Liars led me to my best friend.

Ironically, plotlines about deceit and betrayal actually helped ignite a long-lasting friendship. In 2011, the only other person I knew to be watching PLL was my now-BFF, Taylor, who’s been by my side for over a decade. We were only about 11 and 12 when it premiered, so shout out to our parents for letting us watch a show that dealt with very adult themes like substance use disorder, assault, and grief. Unlike our classmates, who watched tween-appropriate hits like iCarly and Victorious, we became PLL stans.

As fans know, the show is loosely based on the Sara Shepard YA series of the same name, and the first book was my entry point into the PLL universe. I loved reading about blackmailers and murderers navigating high school, but I thought I was the only one who was into it. (Was this my ~I’m different~ complex showing, or were my peers just naturally more inclined to recap Dance Moms? I’ll never know.) So, Taylor first struck up a conversation with me at school because she spotted the first PLL book on my desk — you know, the one painted with porcelain wax dolls warning to “never trust a pretty girl with an ugly secret” in a Gothic script. She asked if I’d watched the TV adaptation yet and we immediately exchanged phone numbers to text about upcoming episodes. We then fell into the fandom. Fast.

I’d never talked to Taylor before this interaction — we had only been in a few classes together — but I always saw her as approachable and friendly. Universally, the beginning of middle school is a big and terrifying year when kids from different elementary schools unite. Eager to meet new people, I reached for friendship at any chance I could get. Taylor made it easy. Aside from being a genuinely kind person (a rare trait for a middle schooler!), she was fangirling over the same thing as me.

Fast forward over a decade later, and the show still feels timeless, especially in its accurate depictions of how dramatic high school can get. It’s no surprise there’s a PLL HBO Max reboot on the way along with the remakes of other buzzy shows from that era (hello, 2010s nostalgia). Ah. It was a simpler time. Back then, Freeform was still ABC Family and for me, Tuesdays meant one thing: PLL is on. What first started as a solo viewing experience soon became a designated hangout time, a time slot reserved for me and Taylor to gush over how much we loved Ashley Benson. (We still do!)

The series had a vibe similar to Gossip Girl or Bridgerton in that a mysterious, unidentifiable pot-stirrer keeps fans guessing each episode, but it was arguably so much better since “A,” the anonymous villain, is out for, you know, murder. Ultimately, it was the type of whodunit that made me and Taylor (and millions of viewers) go down a couple of Reddit rabbit holes — remember the “Aria is A” suspicion? — and this is where my and Taylor’s experience with fan theories began.

Oh, and let’s not forget the location. PLL takes place in the fictional suburb of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, and for two girls from Bucks Country — aka the Philadelphia ‘burbs — we ate it up. The beloved “Welcome to the Dollhouse” episode was exceptionally creepy not only because the Liars get locked into a life-size replica of their bedrooms, but also because our real neighborhood looks extremely similar to their hometown. It operates like Rosewood, too, in that small-town gossip travels at lightning speed.

The Pennsylvania-based plotline also made it easier for us to identify with the characters, who felt like extensions of ourselves. In many ways, we got to know each other through their personalities. Taylor is studious and high-achieving, obviously a Spencer. And I owned feather earrings because I saw Lucy Hale sport them in Season 1, so obviously an Aria. Asking “Are you more of a Hanna or an Emily?” held as much weight in 2012 as asking someone their rising sign in 2021. While it might not say much, it also tells you everything you need to know about a person.

PLL got its start right before live-tweeting shows became popularized, so when we weren’t together, I used to text Taylor on my slide-out keyboard phone (only Zillennials will remember) to compare notes without stumbling upon many spoilers. They read something like this: “Caleb and Hanna are soul mates, TBH.” Like every other fan, we theorized about why A had to be Ian… and Melissa… and Jenna… and Mona… and, you get the point. When our elaborate speculations ran cold, we’d pause DVR’d episodes to gather more clues, like glimpses of Red Coat’s face in her second season introduction, or inspections of those eerie-gloved hands assembling dolls and sharpening knives at the end of each episode.

This game of Clue made room for conversations about all the things. We were in high school during the show’s peak, so it felt like the Liars had laid the groundwork for how to operate our school’s halls. Rosewood High was not traditional — uh, multiple students came back from the dead (*cough* Mona and Alison) — but it did prepare us for the stressors of college applications and first romantic relationships. In fact, Benson’s Hanna Marin would be proud of my matchmaking skills because back then, I introduced Taylor to the boyfriend she’s still with today.

As we both grew up with the show, our friendship got even deeper. The Liars weren’t the only ones to share secrets, and I found it incredibly easy to confide in Taylor. She’s trustworthy, level-headed, compassionate, and an excellent listener. She’s someone I know will always pick up on the second ring and is the type of friend to be there with advice, reassurance, and a quick-witted one-liner. She once joked about never needing a diary because we’ve transcribed the past 10 years of our lives via text.

Our bond has remained strong, especially because the most outrageous PLL-esque plotlines of our lives are ones we’ve experienced together. I love Taylor because I don’t have to provide background for my stories. I’m even so familiar with the cast of characters in her life that when someone re-enters after a long period, I like to say they Alison DiLaurentis’ed her.

And on the off-chance she’s not there to witness something meaningful happen to me IRL, she’s always ready to decipher what went down over texts or dinner and drinks — just like we did when we were teens trying to figure out who A was (minus the wine, of course).

The way she can reconstruct my way of thinking and offer up a perspective I hadn’t seen before is almost paranormal. Whether these are Taylor’s naturally given talents or traits learned from peeling back all the layers of the series, I’m not sure. But she’s always there to decode situations with me — whether they relate to a TV show or during moments when I feel lost.

I couldn’t be more thankful that Taylor entered my life and that PLL played a role in our friendship. I feel so incredibly lucky to know someone like her. Plus, now I have someone who is obligated to watch the reboot with me. Ali was right: Friends do share secrets. And she’s ~quite literally~ the reason Taylor’s got all of mine. Spencer and Aria, you’ve got some competition.

Get Relationship Advice Here

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hoynovoy · 3 years

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My 'Pretty Little Liars' Obsession Led Me To My Best Friend

Get More Dating Advice Here

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khalilhumam · 4 years

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‘Boca de Rua': The Brazilian newspaper produced entirely by people living on the street

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/boca-de-rua-the-brazilian-newspaper-produced-entirely-by-people-living-on-the-street/

‘Boca de Rua': The Brazilian newspaper produced entirely by people living on the street

After 19 years, Boca is still telling stories from the street

Marcos Scher selling the paper at traffic lights before the pandemic. Photo: Charlotte Dafol/Used with permission

Nineteen years ago in Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, a newspaper made entirely by people living on the streets was created. Boca de Rua (Mouth of the Street, also known as Boca) newspaper was ideated by a group of journalists who wanted to provide this community with the tools to speak for themselves. The project was conceived in 2000 and a year later, during the first meeting of the World Social Forum, the first edition of Boca was launched. Today, the newspaper is the only member of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) created entirely by people living on the streets. The ideas for stories, interviewees and questions are all developed by the community itself. Two journalists, who have been with the project since the beginning, are responsible for designing every new issue. A group of volunteers also helps with support such as recording meetings, guiding the reporters about notetaking, and transcribing notes on the computer. Published as a quarterly, Boca's coverage ranges from reports of abuses suffered by those on the street to positive stories. Over a period of three months, the group decides on the direction of the coverage, they go out into the field, conduct interviews, take photographs and gather testimonies for the stories. Member turnover is high, but on average, about 50 people work on each edition. After printing, each member of the group receives a share of copies to sell on the streets of Porto Alegre and all the proceeds go to the journalist/vendors. The publication is also sustained by donations from supporters, many of them anonymous. Rosina Duarte, one of the creators of Boca de Rua and the NGO ALICE (Free Agency for Information, Citizenship and Education), to which the newspaper is linked, said that the initial aim was “to give a voice to those who don't have one”. In time, however, they realized that this was presumptuous — the voices were always there, society just didn't listen to them, she says. In a telephone interview with Global Voices, Rosina says:

Quando nós chegamos, a gente tinha ainda aquele discurso bonito, que carrega muito resquício do “preconceito bonzinho”, como eu digo, que é o de querer dar algo a eles, de ajudar. Mas a gente percebeu que nós é que tínhamos que ser alfabetizadas na linguagem da rua. Eles não tinham a alfabetização da linguagem escrita, mas nós éramos analfabetas completas sobre a vida na rua.

When we arrived, we still had those pretty words which hold a lot of undertones of “nice prejudice”, as I call it, which is wanting to give something to them to help. But we realized that it was us who had to become literate in the language of the street. They didn't have literacy in written language, but we were completely illiterate about life on the street.

Catarina and Daniel wearing masks with Boca's logo | Photo: Luiz Abreu/Used with permission

The journalists’ original idea was to create a radio broadcast program using speakers installed on the city's lamp posts. But when they contacted a group of homeless people, they were adamant: “We want a newspaper about us”. Rosina says the idea worried her at first, but it worked:

Quando eles disseram que queriam um jornal, fomos atrás de financiamento, ainda tateando no escuro, sem saber o que fazer. Mas um dia caiu a ficha: ao contar o que acontecia nas ruas, eles faziam notícia. E, se eles tivessem consciência disso, o texto se organizava de uma forma muito clara. Porque a gente faz notícia o tempo inteiro. Tem os que fazem de uma forma mais objetiva, outros menos objetiva, mas a gente faz.

When they said they wanted a newspaper, we went after funding, still feeling our way in the dark, not knowing what to do. But one day the penny dropped: by telling what was happening on the streets, they were breaking news. And if they became aware of this, the paper would organize itself very clearly. Because we make news all the time. Some people do it in a more objective way, others less objective, but we do it.

Over time, the newspaper also became a kind of social movement. The group meets weekly to discuss collective demands and possibilities for supporting the individual issues of its members. It is also linked to initiatives in the field, such as the Movimento Nacional da População de Rua (National Movement of People on the Street) and Amada Massa (Loving Dough), a bakery that aims to generate autonomy for people with a history on the streets in Porto Alegre. Regarding the content of the stories told by the paper, Rosina recalls:

Parece que é só sofrimento, parece que é só dificuldade. E não é. Descobrimos essa alegria, essa resistência, valorizamos essa imensa, fantástica capacidade de sobreviver, não só de se manter vivo, mas de manter viva a esperança, a alegria, o afeto e todas essas questões.

It seems like it's just suffering, it seems like it's just difficulty. And it's not. We have discovered this joy, this resistance, we appreciate this immense, fantastic capacity to survive, not only to stay alive, but to keep hope, joy, affection and all these things alive.

Voices from the streets

In a telephone interview with Global Voices, Elisângela Escalante, who joined the group six years ago when she was on the streets, emphasized the importance of the newspaper in her life:

Muita coisa aconteceu comigo através do jornal. Ele me tirou da rua. Porque eu vivi três anos e meio na rua e eu saí depois de uns meses indo pro jornal. Eu fui guardando um dinheiro e comecei a alugar o meu espaço. Antes eu não ganhava o meu dinheiro, dependia do meu companheiro pra tudo. Faz diferença pra mim, eu gosto de ter meu dinheiro.

A lot happened to me through the paper. It got me off the street. Because I lived on the street for three and a half years and I got out after a few months going to the paper. I was saving some money and started to rent my own space. Before I didn't earn my money, I depended on my partner for everything. It makes a difference for me, I like to have my own money.

The cover of the edition which drew attention to the challenges of motherhood on the street. Photo: Agência ALICE/Boca de Rua, used with permission.

Elisângela remembers one edition in particular, where the cover story asked: “Why can't we be mothers?”. The report talked about the challenges that women with street backgrounds face in motherhood. While producing the report, some women members of the newspaper managed to regain contact with their children who they hadn't seen in years, Elisângela says:

Eu acho que o que a gente fala [no jornal] é a verdade. É o que a gente sente e o que a gente vive dentro da sociedade. Se não fosse o Boca, não teria outra maneira de fazer isso e ser ouvido por tanta gente. Através dele eu consegui muitas coisas e ajudei muitas pessoas também.

I think what we say [in the paper] is the truth. It's what we feel and what we experience within society. If it weren't for Boca, I wouldn't have any other way to do this and be heard by so many people. Through it I got a lot of things and I helped a lot of people too.

For the first time in its history, the newspaper is unable to be sold on the streets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to alleviate the effects on the reporters’ income, Boca de Rua has been transformed into a digital version. With a contribution of 20 BRL (around 3.75 US dollars) every three months, readers access the latest edition of Boca, as well as old editions and other material. For the contributors and reporters, the most important thing is that the voices from the street continue to be heard during the pandemic. When asked in a telephone conversation about his feelings about the newspaper, Marcos Sher, a 13-year veteran of Boca, said:

Pra mim é bom, muito bom. Pra você ver que eu não largo, né? Às vezes eu dou um tempo, mas eu volto de novo. Pra mim o jornal foi uma maneira de sair do tráfico [de drogas] e voltar a trabalhar. É bom porque é alguma coisa pra fazer, pra me tirar de casa. Ter alguma coisa pra fazer é muito importante pra mim.

For me it's good, very good. So you can see I'm not letting go, right? Sometimes I stop for a while, but I come back again. For me, the newspaper was a way to get out of [drug] trafficking and go back to work. It's good because it's something to do, to get me out of the house. Having something to do is very important for me.

Editor's note: Talita Fernandes works with the newspaper Boca de Rua (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul) and wrote a dissertation “Street, feminine noun: women in movement and the right to the body in the city”, by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).

< p class='gv-rss-footer'>Written by Talita Fernandes Translated by Liam Anderson · View original post [pt]

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maxximillian · 7 years

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How to Interview People — Tips and Best Practices

We (as interviewers) were given some basic guidelines on interview technique (but not content) then instructed to come up with questions, write up our show notes and then, later that same day, we had to interview our ‘guest’ live as another budding journalist produced the episode on the fly in a multi-screen studio built into a corner of the set, directing and simultaneously producing a segment from the live feeds of 3 studio cameras, each with a live operator.

With the studio full of people but silent, the spotlights on me and my interview guest, darkness obscuring everything except for the human being sitting before me with shadows; I remember the intense feeling of being hyper aware of ‘the present moment’. Unexpectedly, it was mildly shocking. It was in that moment that I understood the dynamic of an interview situation, and the need for preparation and notes. I was relieved I had both. I took my time, allowing a moment of silence between my guest’s answers and my responses. I was having a deliberate conversation with a purpose to achieve and it felt good to feel myself achieving it along with my interview guest’s palpable enjoyment of our conversation. Very empowering. (Similar to that feeling for a comedian of making someone laugh when you set out to.)

These days my journalistic influence is NPR. I’ve made a study of NPR’s journalistic styles because I enjoy the way their various shows present their stories. Ira Glass and the other journalists presenting their interview pieces on THIS AMERICAN LIFE have been my unwitting teachers for the past 10 years as I’ve hungrily consumed their excellent content. This summer I’m launching my newest podcast Maxximillian Presents: THEMATIC — at its essence, it’s interviews with people.

To prepare myself for this, and to brush up on my skills, I paid for an online course from CreativeLive called Power Your Podcast With Storytelling — I highly and personally recommend this course, by the way.

I wrote about it here, if you think you might be interested in taking some of their free courses (taught by experts) yourself, check it out!

I told you about my love for THIS AMERICAN LIFE so who better to learn from than the man himself, the show’s long-time producer Alex Blumberg—his class Power Your Podcast With Storytelling was very helpful and instructive on how to recognize where the story is in your subject (the person you’re interviewing); he also does an interview with a live person from beginning to end (‘end’ being a produced interview segment). He illustrates his process of discovering the best angle to present the story from, and takes you through discovering the richest part of the story your guest has to offer. Alex also teaches how to plan an interview. Seriously, I can’t recommend this course enough. It’s a game-changer.

To date, I’ve interviewed singer-songwriters, authors, other journalists and writer-directors, actors, data analysts, U.S. veterans retired from active duty in Afghanistan, executive producers, music producers, fiction writers, random interesting strangers, anonymous people in the foodservice industry, video game authors, registered nurses, ER personnel, prostitutes—mid-range and fancy ones, and the homeless and many others, in varying ranges of intimacy. (If you’d like to have a listen, to some upcoming episodes, here’s the link.)

Most recently I interviewed ‘regular folks’ (there’s really no such thing) about their so-called average lives for a show I’m writing. My television series that I interviewed them for is a plot-driven show but I feel I can offer my audience more if I bring into the lives of my characters some ‘problems of life’ and illustrate through the triumphs of my characters how to successfully solve those problems.

There’s a couple I know—they always wow me with their stories. One story in particular, a story they told me about their adventures surrounding a house they once rented including a slumlord landlord to rival any villain, caught in my craw, and I realized that this couple’s trials and tribulations could service the main characters of my plot-driven show. The real life couple’s real life ‘problems of life’ situations would give my fictional characters a fuller life. Having petty antagonistic domestic dramas and plumbing malfunctions in the midst of a political-social revolt seemed to me to be just the thing to bring everyday familiarity to an ‘out-there’ narrative—because bad neighbors are still bad neighbors, even in the middle of a war. The rotten neighbors are still going to play their music too loud and let their dog poop in your yard even in the midst of chaos, and that is the kind of stuff that is missing sometimes in plot-driven stories. I’d been looking for a way to bring character intimacy into my story and from the minute I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks as I laughed at the antics of their evil landlord and rotten neighbors, I knew: I have to convince them to let me tell their story.

Here’s what I did…

When I left them that night, as soon as I was alone, before I could forget, I jotted down all the parts of their story I could recall that I knew I wanted to hear more about. I wrote it longhand using 2-3 word phrases and bullet points. After writing down all I could remember, I transcribed it to Evernote. (There is also a new note taking app called Bear Writer that’s worth a look, incredibly lovely app. If you’d like to hear a few reasons why I love it, give a listen to July’s first episode of the Audio Drama Production Podcast (ADPP) about writing software where I dish on all my favorite apps for professional writing of all kinds.)

Next, I sent each a text message asking if I could stop by for a short visit to ask them something. In person, as soon as I arrived, I told them something like, “That story you told me about your landlord… I think it would make a great storyline for two characters in the television series I’m writing. Would you be willing to let me interview you?”

They said yes.

On our interview date, I jumped right in. I began by reminding them that I’d like for them to tell me about their house rental experiences. When they asked where to begin, I said to “begin where the problems began” and it worked out well. Whenever they got to a part in the story where backstory was needed, they filled it in—they did this naturally without any prompting from me. (I think it was best to do this rather than to ask them to “begin at the beginning” because that may have extended beyond the scope of my interest: the slumlord badness.)

Before I hit record, I let them know that I would record the conversation but not to think about that, just to speak naturally. My general rundown that I tell show guests (and anyone I interview) is this…

• Nobody is going to hear this unedited recording except for me.

• I won’t publish any part of this interview (unless it’s for the show, then I don’t say that—they want to be on the show, it’s why we’re recording).

• Speak freely and know that I’ll only show you in a positive light.

• If you say something and later think of a better way to say it, tell me so and I’ll use the ‘better’ comment/explanation instead.

• Even if we’ve moved onto another topic, feel free to return to something we discussed previously if you have something to add.

How To Interview People

All of My best practices…

• I ask for 50 minutes when interviewing people. Usually this is just the right amount of time to get what I need, or enough to know if I need a separate interview. I never go over the amount of time I ask for. It’s better to ask if they can spare a little more time or ask to schedule a second interview. Respecting people’s time is the number one way to show appreciation, I’ve found: Be on time; leave on time.

• I sometimes send questions ahead of time: Usually this is helpful. It gives guests a roadmap of what to expect. I think it’s important that I mention, I make it clear that I don’t want them to email me back their answers, that I’m just letting them know what to expect; I mention that there will be additional questions during the interview that spring from their answers but that these questions (the ones I sent) will definitely be asked. It’s helpful because it gets the guest thinking of the topic and gets their memory juiced up to discuss our topic, in effect priming the guest. It prevents the need for a guest to recall details on the fly during the interview which can result in the guest coming up with a lot of “ummm” and “I don’t know” during the interview. Most importantly, offering a short list of the interview questions puts the guest at ease. Why? Because they can see clearly that they already know the answers to the questions I’ll ask. Even though the interview is about them and they know all the answers, many people have something similar to test-taking anxiety when it comes to interviews where someone knows that they’re being recorded. Guests have thanked me for sending them the questions ahead of time. There are some guests who prefer to talk on the fly, and that’s fine. The interviewer sending the questions ahead of time is a courtesy, but not expected necessarily.

• On Release Forms: if you don’t need one, don’t bother. Signing contracts make folks nervous sometimes; even a simple release form can be off-putting. Not all situations call for a release form. A few minutes googling the specifics of your project will let you know what’s appropriate. Generally, I haven’t needed one since I’m interviewing people to create a character on a show and I’m not using their voice, name, or likeness in my project. (Unless it’s for the THEMATIC show in which case I am totally using their name, voice and likeness—because they want me to, and it’s expected.) I think it’s worth mentioning that I have myself been a guest on a handful of talk shows and terrestrial radio shows and have never been presented with a release form to sign. YMMV

• I have found it helpful to send the interview guest an email at 4 days, at 24 hours, and at 1 hour before the interview time with clear links to a map of the location (or the URL if it’s an online meeting along with any instructions for joining the conference—even if they already have it). And 10 minutes before the show time, I send a text basically saying: “Hi, it’s Maxximillian. Looking forward to our interview!”

• I always show up (at least) 20 minutes ahead of time (even if it’s an online or teleconference meeting—guests sometimes need technical help setting up). And, invariably some people are early; if they are, I want to be there and ready to greet them.

• Before I begin, I let them know that I haven’t hit record and ask if they have any questions before we begin. (And then I answer all their questions.)

• I like to have room-temperature bottled water—on hand, at the ready—for myself and for my guest to drink—6 bottles is appropriate for 2 people.

• If it’s an in person interview, I bring a gift. (My most well-received gifts are the potted rosemary, and basil, plants from Trader Joe’s. Inexpensive and cheerful. It seems even people who don’t cook much love fresh herbs growing on a sunny countertop in their kitchen. It’s also a good universal gift because some don’t drink and others have dietary issues, and everyone can enjoy a plant.)

• About taking notes: I listen instead of taking notes. My full attention is upon the speaker, I find that I get better stories this way. I start recording, lay my phone down (or set up the mic) then completely ignore the recording device. If you use a voice recording app on your phone, it’s great because people are used to seeing phones lying around. Start it recording, turn off the screen display, lay it down and people will forget that it’s there recording everything. People have told me that they ‘forgot we were recording’ many times after an interview. (I have a shotgun mic by the way—but nobody ever “forgets” that we’re recording when I use this. Even though it’s the same equipment my journalistic spirit animal Alex Blumberg uses (and it makes me feel very professional), it’s impossible to forget that an interview is in progress when it’s in the room. Sometimes invisible equipment is the best; other times the guest wants to feel like they’re doing a ‘real’ interview. My general rule is: if it’s an intimate personal experience someone is sharing, invisible equipment is better. If it’s a story about a passion project or business related, the shotgun microphone is a favorite because it makes people feel ‘like an expert’.

• When I’ve got all I came for from the interview — according to my notes, remember that bullet point list? — I pack up and thank my interview guest, and go.

• I don’t offer to let them listen to the unedited interview. People are self-conscious and very few people enjoy listening to themselves talk on a recording.

• I don’t take on any additional pressure to deliver beyond showing up to do the interview. If I’m publishing the interview, I share the link to their polished interview the day before (or on the same day) that I release it. I never make promises about the project because (and I don’t tell them this) sometimes, that project doesn’t happen all the way or by the date I anticipate—ask me how I know—why add needless pressure making promises?

• If they ask about the finished project, I promise to keep them updated on the progress of it (and I do)—but ONLY if they ask.

• I follow up with a physical thank you card whenever possible—email cards just ain’t the same. ( I buy blank notes from a store called HomeGoods and use them exclusively for this purpose. )

• If I had a good connection with the person, I add them to my personal holiday mailing list and include them in my professional holiday greetings. (Note: I don’t add them to any other mailing list or do any self-promotion in these greetings.)

Would you like a printable checklist? Let me know!

You Can Do It…

go for it and Take the course yourself!

Power Your Podcast With Storytelling taught by Alex Blumberg

Recent THEMATIC Interview Clips (small sampling)

Writer-Director Rob McCollum

Actor-Comedian Eric Schwartz

YA Fiction Author Jayme Beddingfield

❂ Full interviews coming soon—subscribe on iTunes and you’ll be the first to hear them! 🙂

My creative business journalism podcast Maxximillian Presents: THEMATIC is free to listen to and download on iTunes, Stitcher, PocketCasts, BlogTalkRadio, GooglePlay and wherever podcasts are found—and, of course, you’ll find all episodes, show notes, and episode extras on my blog at podcasts.maxximilliandafoe.com.

I hope you’ve found my share helpful. Reach out to me if you feel I can help you in any way. If you’d like to get in touch, stop by anytime and drop me a line on my podcasts home page.

Share this post with all the writers you know—I bet they’ll thank you!

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How to Interview People — Tips and Best Practices was originally published on MAXXIMILLIAN DAFOE

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