This past Tuesday I did a recorded interview for Good Morning Aurora for my community TV channel. I’d communicated with Curtis, the host, via email to get the scoop on what to expect. He would not be furnishing me with questions to consider and prepare for ahead of time. Rather, he gave me a broad overview of the topics we would be discussing. Talking off-the-cuff would be a challenge.

Challenge accepted

I took all four of my published books, knowing I could comfortably speak about them. I thought about all the possible questions regarding my writing journey and practice answering those the day before. Where the rest of the interview would go, I had no idea.

The secret sauce

When Curtis asked my observation of how Aurora had changed, although I’ve lived here for almost fifty years, I took a moment to pause. I formulated an answer that went with my mission statement as a writer. I wanted to encourage others. The pausing before answering wasn’t easy for me because my mind spins at a mile a minute. But it not only helped me focus on my answer but allowed me to relax a bit before I spoke.

The other ingredient is covering my interview with prayer. When I get nervous, I talk fast. I have fast-paced speech naturally so; it was imperative that I slow down my words. Asking for prayer and praying myself calmed me.

Following directions

Each interview is different. The last one I did was an audio interview for a podcast. This time I had to stay engaged with the camera. I sat behind a desk and tried to remember to look at Curtis, who sat out of range of the camera.

I’d learned early on to wear neat, professional attire when presenting myself as a writer. And tips I learned from being in a short film and from professional photographers is to make sure the colors I wore compliment my complexion and won’t washout under the lights. I haven’t seen the recording yet. But I believe I managed that part.

Things are a changing because this interview will appear on Spotify and YouTube. Which means it will be available for quite a while to view. That being said, I hope it plays well and of course draws attention to my books. Which is the whole reason a writer does interviews. ?

Have you ever done a podcast interview? What tips do you have?