Research your subject ahead of time. Prepare a list of questions based on what you learn in your research. Research also helps you determine your article's focus or theme.
Interview your subject. Use a tape recorder to ensure you don't miss anything. It will also be the prime source of reference as you write your story. Change or add questions during the interview if the need arises. You may see a better angle or theme for your piece. Leading into a question with a brief statement can be helpful. For example: "You're an inspiration to those who feel you can't begin writing in later years. You didn't publish your first novel until age 45. What prompted you to begin writing so late in life?" is a long opening, but it suggests something that your subject can elaborate on.
Outline your story. Listen to the interview to help build the your article's direction. In a profile piece, introduce your subject in the first paragraph, including the essential information readers will need to know in order to put the interview in context. Write in third person. Determine the tone of your article by its purpose. If you're writing an expose type article, the tone will be more straightforward. A piece meant to inspire and enlighten readers will have a lighter, more relaxed tone.
Write with your story in mind. In a profile of a writer, for instance, the object of the piece may be to inspire other writers. Include not only background information on the writer's works, but include quotes that show readers how your subject creates his work. The aim of an interview profile on a famous author is to give the readers a more thorough understanding of who the writer is and how they can apply elements of his success to their own lives and work.
Incorporate as much of the interview into the story as you can, but don't interrupt the flow of your article by overloading it with quotes. Work quotes from the interview into the text. You can begin a line of thought, then finish it with a partial quote that enhances or supports what you write. Example:
Writing for a living isn't a guaranteed fast-track to fame. "I wrote for two decades before a publisher even looked at my manuscript . . ." Don says.
This method of incorporating quotes lets you make your point while using a bit of your interview to support the statement. The ellipsis tells readers there was more to the Don's statement.