DEAR HARRIETTE: As someone tasked with interviewing people who have stories that may not be of particular interest to me, I often struggle with connecting to my subjects. How can I possibly be interested in something that I find lacking in any real personal meaning? It can be challenging to craft a thoughtful line of questioning that leads to the best possible story outcome. As an interviewer, what tools or methods do you use to make the stories you tell stand out? How do I work to identify what makes a subject's story interesting to others, even if it isn’t interesting to me? -- Uninterested
DEAR UNINTERESTED: This is a tough situation that is actually common for journalists and other writers. You are fortunate if you get to write only about the things that fascinate you. Typically, especially in the beginning of a career, you have to write about all sorts of topics that may seem mundane or meaningless to you. The best way to navigate those stories -- and any, really -- is first to identify your audience. Who will be reading your story? What do those people care about? Why is this topic meaningful to their lives? It could be for serious reasons or possibly for fun. Determine what motivates the readers to look for your story. Then write to that audience. When you adopt the approach that you are serving your reader, it will be easier for you to spark interest within yourself about the subject at hand.