Not all of us are born interviewers. It's an intimidating experience, trying to convince a person to open up to you and share their stories with you. A lot of the time, fortunately, we deal with people who are happy to talk, or from whom we only need a limited amount of information. But what can you do when you need the bright, colorful story from the shy subject, and you're nearly as shy yourself? Other than everyone getting drunk? Even though some of you seasoned writers might find this a little Freelancing 101, it's still a hard skill to hone. Some tips:

Don't do it if you are short on time. Both of you have to have the time to have an actual conversation. If you pose quick questions to somebody that don't really have much to do with each other and they only have a minute or two to answer each one, it's not very natural and won't lead to good material. Schedule it when you have time to chat. However, try to manage your time. If the conversation starts look like it's going to take forever, your subject is going to want to get out of there.

Find a comfortable place. If you're doing it in person, somewhere near where the interviewee lives or works. Let them suggest it that's feasible. Arrive early and get situated. Nobody will want to open up to you if you look as uncomfortable as they feel. This is also important on a phone call. From personal experience I realize that I am a lot more relaxed if I'm interviewing somebody from the privacy of my own home than if I'm doing it quickly on the sly at the office or shouting into my cell phone.

Obviously you want your questions to be down ahead of time but don't be rigid about having them all answered in order. Let the conversation meander: the best stuff often comes out in the asides. If you can't keep track of the questions and answers, bring a tape recorder that you have faith in so that you're not constantly checking it and pushing it towards the interviewee.

Instead of staring at your interviewee and jotting down what they look like or their body language, or not paying attention to valuable material as they talk while you take note of the environment, ask a few non-questions, a few things that you might actually need to know that much (where are you from, how has your summer been) that let you observe a bit more plus get the subject a little more comfortable.

Do make it a conversation. Basic chitchat won't take more than a few minutes and makes you look more like a human than Scary Reporter Person. Meanwhile, talk about yourself a little so that the subject can feel like they know you, at least a little bit. But don't go overboard and inappropriately talk about your bikini wax or the last time you got hammered. You're not trying to make this person your best friend. Refrain from expressing major opinions yourself. Canadian reporter John Sawatsy also advised in a 2000 story in the American Journalism Review, "Resist the temptation to converse, sympathize and add value or meaning to questions. Use short, neutral questions that repeat the source's own words. If the source makes a judgment - for example, ``Brian can be excessive at times'' - follow up with: ``What do you mean, excessive?'"

To keep your interview talking, don't ask yes or no questions. To make things more open-ended, start your questions with "What..." instead of "Is" or "Are," or "Do," like "What makes you a good teacher?" as opposed to "Do you think you're a good teacher?" " Three basic questions that even experienced reporters seldom ask often enough," says Lex Alexander of the Greensboro News & Record from an article on the good interview from the site No Train, No Gain, are
"1) What does that mean?
2) Can you give me an example?
3) Has that ever happened before? (Or, How often does that happen?"
Also, don't worry about filling up all the silent spaces in the conversation. If an interviewee stops talking for a moment and there is a pause, he or she may resume chatting before you ask your next question.

I don't also need to tell you to do your research on the subject, do I? I didn't think so.