get the name of the dog, or the make and model of the car, or the slogan on the T-shirt. In other words, always be on the lookout for details that tell you something about a person and their surroundings.

Often, these details open up points of relatability for readers.

The next time you do an interview, picture a box of crayons. Every detail you gather is like a crayon that you can use to fill your box. It’s unlikely you’ll use every single detail when writing your story, but if you don’t have the details to begin with, you’ll never have the option of coloring your story with them.

writers should live their lives in the form of a question