Writing Services

freelance writer Rosemary Phillips

Interview Articles

Interview Articles by Rosemary Phillips

Why interview articles?

Interview articles are a great way to tell a person’s story. These articles can be used for promotion - going beyond the regular formal press release - to introduce the human being behind the talent, the business, the job, the event. They can also act as a family record for future generations to capture a bit of history.

Human interest stories:

Everyone has a story to tell, from international calibre performers like Natalie Choquette - La Diva, to local folk like retired outfitter Dale Ethier who is sharing his memoirs of life in the backcountry. What is most important? That the story be informative and enjoyable to read, and that it touches the reader.

Subjects areas I am interested in for interviews:

If you would like your story telling and if it falls into any of the following categories I will certainly be interested in interviewing you: arts and performing arts; human potential; courage and hope; achievement; spiritual growth; environment; interior design.

Get your story on the World Wide Web:

Once the interview article is completed I can, with your permission, place it on this web site, on the World Wide Web, for others to read. Maybe you would like to add a picture.

My specialty - Interview articles with performing artists:

Over the last ten years most of my writing has been for the performing arts, promoting artists and their performances in several genres from classical to folk, blues and jazz. They have been used for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, programs and web sites.

They provide a chance to meet the artist in person, like you are talking with them yourself. They add the human-interest story for promotion, and fill the human need to know more about the person on the stage and their relationship with the works they are performing. These articles answer questions like: Who are they? What inspired them to do what they do? What are their interests? What do they do when they are not performing?

Some of these articles are now posted on this site (see Index): Gary Karr, the world's leading solo bassist; Jasper Wood, a rising Canadian violinist; Denise Djokic, best up-and-coming cellist in the world; Paul Horn, jazz flute and the grandfather of New Age music; Jane Coop, Canadian classical pianist; Jim Ryan of the country band Cruzeros; and Ann Mortifee, Canadian singer.

New technology and doing interviews:

It is not necessary for me to travel from one end of the country to the other to do interviews. They are usually held over the telephone, after research has been done, and I type the discussion directly into the computer. Some interviews have been held in person (e.g. Paul Horn, Ann Mortifee, Gerald van Wyck) and are tape-recorded then transcribed.

Editing quotes and getting approval:

Because we don’t talk like we write, jumping from one idea to another or leaving sentences unfinished, quotes are carefully chosen and placed in a cohesive order to let the story flow smoothly. The article is then sent to the interviewee for approval of content and intent before it is finalized and forwarded to the client, promoter/presenter or to the specific publication editor who commissioned the article.

You would like to tell your story?

If you have a story to tell, or have a family member whose story would be of interest, and you want to share it and place it on this web site, please do e-mail me for information on how I can help you, and for my rates. Rates vary according to the length of the article, the amount of research required, and other costs such as travel, if needed.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the stories that are presently on this site. Visit the Index of Articles for a list of the stories.