Feature Story Brainstorm

1. Who is your main subject?

Carmen Clarke

2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to)?
I'll interview Ana McPherson, Ken Clarke, Katy Lizcano, and Lloy Lizcano. 

3. What is the topic or potential topic?
A potential topic for this story is some of Carmen's world travel experiences, or maybe focus on one important trip that changed how she thought about something.

4. Which angle from above will you write the story?
How one of her trips changed her outlook on an event/person/life.

5. Then to help you get going faster, come up with 20 questions that you can ask your main subject. Type these in your blog.
1. How many different countries have you visited?
2. What was your favorite trip?
3. What cities have you lived in?
4. Where was your favorite place to live and why?
5. Have any of these places change your viewpoint politically and how?
6. Have any of these places change your viewpoint spiritually?
7. What was the most life-changing experience you've had in your traveling and where was it?
8. How did it change your point of view?
9. What significance does it have in your life now?
10. How has it changed you as an individual?
11. How has it changed you as a member of society?
12. Has it changed the role you play in your family?
13. Do you think if your perspective hadn't changed, you would feel the same now? In 10 years?
14. Have you brought the significance of this experience back into your Houston "home life" through any activity or ritual?
15. Do you share it with others?
16. How do you think they see it?
17. How do you feel about the attacks in paris?
18. Since living abroad had expanded your point of view, do you think it has touched your family?
19. Where are you going next? 
20. What are you looking forward to doing there?

6. Once you complete that portion, you need to come up with 5-10 questions you need to ask your supporting interviews. Type these into your blog. You may need different questions for each supporting subject.
1. How are you related to Carmen?
2. What impact have her world travel experiences had on you?
3. From your personal point of view, do you think her opinions have changed due to her worldwide experiences?
4. Have you visited her while she was living or visiting another location?
5. Was it out of the country?
6. Did she participate actively in the community?
7. Is there anywhere she behaved more like a tourist?
8. Do you think her travel and exposure to new ideas has affected her political stand point?
9. What about her role in society?
10. Has any of this inspired you to make a change? What was it?

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.
1. Living abroad tends to give you more patients because of the language barrier, it takes longer for people to understand you.
2. Have a lot of experience with foreign language, so people who travel that much often know a few.
3. Due to foreign cuisine, they don't fear food and have more evolved taste.
4. A lot of the times, people with exposure to a lot of other countries and new ideas, become more aware of themselves. They get to know themselves better.
5. People who travel and develop good tourist skills, become tourists of their own city, very up to date on current activities.

8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)?
I'll be interviewing over the course of Thanksgiving break. A few will be over Skype, the others will be done on Wednesday or Thursday.

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)? I'll be doing most of my supporting interviews over FaceTime or Skype, but some will be done in person along with my main subject interview.

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.) 
I will be taking notes during the interview.