How to Interview a Family Member for an Article

This might sound strange, but it is often easier to interview a complete stranger for an article you want to write than to interview a family member or friend. Mixing your personal life with your professional endeavors can be a recipe for disaster and the pressure can be almost unbearable when the people you love the most are watching. It is also true for many writers that their personalities, actions and behaviors are different when they are working, so you must prepare for a family member to see that side of you.

It is also true, however, that you can find unlimited fodder for articles right under your very own family tree. The uncle who works for the FBI and the sister whose child suffers from ADD can give you fresh insight into your career and allow you to come up with new ideas. Just because it might be uncomfortable doesn't mean that you should nix the idea of interviewing a family member for an article.

Create a Professional Setting. Regardless of your relationship with your family member, you still need to create a professional setting in which to work. Conducting an interview while you sit in lounge chairs on the back porch, throwing back a couple of beers, is not optimum for getting the answers you want. Instead, invite your family member to your office or arrange a lunch date for your interview.

Leave Out Personal Details. Your readers aren't interested in your relationship with your family member; instead, they're interested in what your family member can give to the article. Make sure that you leave out any mention of personal situations during your interview. Instead, focus on the topic at hand, such as lifestyles of FBI agents. Make sure you also tell your interview subject that personal discussions are off-limits.

Pretend You Don't Know Each Other. Unfortunately, family members will often leave out important details when you've discussed the topic before. When you start your interview, explain to your family member that they must pretend that you've never talked before. Details such as past experiences, education and history are valuable to the article you're writing and shouldn't be left out of the dialogue. Make sure to get the background.

Ask Permission. Some family members might balk at the idea of seeing their names (and life stories) in print. You have to respect that, regardless of how excited you are to sell an article. Before you do any research at all, tell your family member that you'd like to interview him or her and what the interview will be used for.

Ask What You Don't Know. Since you're interviewing a family member for an article, you're going to need a hook-something with which to capture your readers' attention. This can often be accomplished by asking your family member about a story you've never heard or using an interesting quote you get during the interview. Make sure you think about the structure and content of your article as you plan your questions.