Public figures often complain that interview questions are too boring, too generic, or just don't give them enough to talk about.

We're here to help you get the response you're looking for, so we've developed the "ZotFish method": a three-step process to help write attention-grabbing questions.

Let's say you're interested in the environment. It's easy to ask, "What do you think about the environment?" But could you yourself give an interesting answer to a question like that? It's hard because it's so general.

Instead, be specific — introduce a detail to set your question up and bring it to life. This could be anything — a recent quote, an event, something in the news, a law that was passed, a lyric from a song, or a scene from a movie.

Not specific	—	Why don't people respect you?
Really, really specific	—	At your last press conference, a clown threw a cream pie in your face. (...)

To capture people's attention, you need to present a situation that begs to be resolved. Take the specific detail you started with, and contrast it against a fact or opinion that thows it into question. (It doesn't have to be your own opinion — it could be an opinion you want them to disagree with.)

Not contrasting	—	Do you think you sing well?
Contrasting against something else	—	You sing in the shower. But your neighbors say it sounds like a cat gargling up hairballs! (...)

Now you've set your question up with a detail and a contrasting detail. But if you end with something like "What do you think?" or "How do you respond?," they won't know what you're really after.

Express your true concern by giving them a statement to agree or disagree with ("Don't you think...?"), or two views to choose between ("Is it ... or ...?").

Unclear concern	—	Is it right to call Martians "little green men?"
Expressing your true concern	—	(...) So is "little green men" just a cute, harmless phrase, or is it sinister prejudice to label Martians by the color of their skin because it denies their individuality?

By using all three strategies together, the public figure gets plenty of detail, criticism and opinion to talk about — just what they need to give a full, interesting answer back. Compare:

Original idea	—	How do you stay so silly?
Giving lots of material to talk about	—	Totally Bonkers magazine named you their 2008 "Silly Person of the Year." But some people think awards like this generate too much pressure on celebrities. Do you take it in stride? Or is it hard to stay silly year after year, as expectations keep growing?

We hope these tips help you get the answers you want!