Thanks to
WOW! Women on Writing we have
Claudine Wolk, author of
It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers... here with us today.
Claudine has nicely agreed to talk about interviewing, so if you have any thoughts on this topic please leave a comment!
Tell Me Your Secrets: Interviewing Tips
Claudine WolkBeth has asked me to share a few tips for developing a bang-up interview. By way of example, I have created a mini-interview for myself, the author of
It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, a fun practical guide for becoming a new mom, with instruction/commentary on each interview question to do just that. Before we get to the sample interview, though, there are three important issues to nail down before you begin any interview:
1. Who is your audience?
2. What message do you want to share with your audience?
3. Why is your message important for your audience?
If you keep the answers to these questions in mind, your interviews will stay on track and be fresh, interesting, and relevant.
I’ve decided that my audience is new moms. My message to new moms is that there are other moms out there just like them and that there are some things new moms can do, today, to make motherhood a bit easier. This message is important for new moms because new moms need help and are quick to keep their feelings to themselves for fear of being called a bad mum at the first sign of frustration. Hearing the author’s experience may help new moms to realize that they are not alone and gain some practical tips and confidence.
As way of example, here are three interview questions of me interviewing me:
1. Hi, Claudine, thanks for speaking with us today. Can you tell us your motivation for writing your new book,
It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers?
Here I give the interviewee an opportunity to tell the audience that she wrote the book because she has been in their shoes and has experienced some of the frustration that they may be feeling. Furthermore, she decided to do something about that frustration by seeking and finding help and then sharing the help with the new moms who come after her by way of the book.
2. Each chapter of your book has a humorous personal experience. Was it difficult to share your personal story with such honesty? Why did you feel it was so important to include these details in your book?
Here I am doing two things. I am letting the interviewee know that I have actually read her material to get her plugged in to the conversation. Secondly, I am allowing her the opportunity to tell the audience how her book differs from the other books out there in its honesty. The author has put herself out on a limb with this book and so it is therefore a worthwhile read.
3. Can you give us an example of a lie you were told as a new mother and how you coped with that lie?
Here I am giving the interviewee a clever question that plays on the title of the book and gives her the opportunity to talk about a personal experience that will most likely be in the book. The audience will see the humorous side of the author and get a teaser preview of what is in the book, hopefully leaving them thirsty for more.
Here is a quick summary of the techniques included above.
1. Know your audience
2. Determine the message
3. Know why the message is important
4. Craft questions that get the intended message to your audience, show you know the material, aid the interviewee to showcase her material, and that leave the audience curious for more information.
Happy interviewing! Come visit me at my website at
www.Help4NewMoms.com for more information about me, the book, or interviewing.
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Claudine Wolk, a mom-blogger, columnist, speaker, mother of three and author of
It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers (AMACOM, July 2009, 978-0-8144-1502-3) knew there had to be an easier way. Over a period of 12 years and while raising her young children on both the East and the West Coast, Wolk interviewed hundreds of mothers, gained insight from participants of her workshops, visited and participated in countless online messageboarding conversations and blogs and blended that valuable information with her own experience to create this witty book for new moms.
Her strategy - employ a little humor and lots of practical advice to help moms help themselves. “
Forget about playing nice and pretending that everything is normal and fine,” Wolk says, “
Motherhood is hard! A new mom wants to know the insider secrets of new motherhood and what really works.” A little honesty and laughter can be just what the doctor ordered.
Wolk also spreads her empowering message through her popular “new mom” workshops. The workshops are fun and interactive. In many instances, Wolk acts a facilitator to get moms talking to share their experiences and ideas. Wolk has presented at countless International MOMS Club meetings as well as to community-based groups and book clubs. Claudine is the keynote presenter at this year’s Bellies & Babies Expo in Indianapolis in September. Her workshops have helped hundreds of women in their quest to share the truth about motherhood and make it a bit easier!
Wolk writes freelance newspaper columns and articles for mom magazines including Hybrid Mom Magazine. She is also an active writer on the web. Her own website,
www.Help4NewMoms.com, is a “safe” place for new moms to go to answer their “new mom” questions and share a bit of themselves in the process. In addition, her own blog
www.Help4NewMoms.blogspot.com enjoys an active following where moms share Wolk’s take on current events, mom book reviews, and dynamic new mom help. She is a featured blogger for the nationally syndicated website
HybridMom.com , and contributes to the websites
Grumpymoms.com,
Babyspot.com, and
Mother-Talk.com.
Wolk is a frequent commentator on some of the most popular “mom-messageboards” on the internet where she chimes in with her advice for new and expecting moms on new mom issues. Some of these websites include (
cafemom.com,
babyzone.com,
Justmommies.com,
ivillage.com,
msn.com,
urbanbaby.com,
discoveryheath.com,
Parents.com, etc). Wolk’s frequently visited Truth about Motherhood and New Mom Book lists as well as her Amazon blog on Amazon have made her one of the “new mom experts” and a sought after new mom/parenting source.
Claudine graduated Summa Cum Laude from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia with a dual major in Accounting and Finance. She was recruited by the Big Six firm Coopers & Lybrand in 1989. After becoming a CPA, she worked in industry for 4 years, thereafter creating her own accounting firm, where she continues to work today. She lives in Bucks County, PA with her husband, Joe, and their three children.
