Feature Writing Brainstorm

1. Who is your main subject?

   Grandfather

2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to, minimum 2 other people)?

  Father, Grandmother, Mother

3. What is the topic or potential topic?

   His war story, how he's been able to support his family for so long

4. Which angle from above will you write the story?

   From the p.o.v. of his army life, how he has earned everything and what he gives back

5. 20 questions - main

   a. What was your childhood like?

   b. What do you enjoy about living in 

   c. Which  jobs did you have in your lifetime?

   d. Who encouraged you to be in the war?

   e. How different would you be w/o the army experience?

   f. How long were you in the army?

   g. Why did you support your kids for college?

   h. Why did your parents divorce?

   i. Do you wish you weren't an only child growing up?

   j. Do you miss anyone from your past, if so who?

   k. Did you go to college, if so which one?

   l. Were you a good student in High school?

   m. What were your extracurriculars?

   n. What encourages you to travel so much?

   o. What travelling stories do you have?

   p. Why did you move here in Tucker so long ago?

   q. How did things change once you had kids?

   r. How did they change once you got married?

   s. Do you think you should've done things differently?

   t. Anything else to add?

6. 5-10 questions - supporting

   a. How different would he be w/o the army?

   b. What do you think about him?

   c. Why do you think he is how he is?

   d. Do you support his father's decision(s)?

   e. Why do you think he hasn't moved from Georgia?

   f. Anything else to add?

7. You will need to do a little research on the topic you expect to interview your main subject about. Take a little time and do some google searching - find at least 5 new things about the intended topic you should know before you interview your main subject. List those on your blog.

      a. He was born in Buford, Georgia

      b. He was in the army in his early 20's (1960's)

      c. He was born on August 8, 1937

      d. He has been married for 55 years

      e. He used to teach Missile Control

      f. His father was a locally famous baseball player

8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)?

   During break, prior to Thanksgiving

9. Where you will interview them (some interviews are better to do in the persons environment, while others should be done in public places, ALL interviews should be done in person)?
   At their house(s), and all will be done in person as of now.

10. How will you record the information? (taking notes is ideal, and if you want to record the conversation you MUST get permission. You can do both if they will allow you to record, this is a really strong technique that you could use.

   Mainly writing down what they say every so often, if possible recording them to get word-for-word, but I just want to have a conversation with them.