People relate to emotion. In times of great emotion, physical attributes of whatever caused it are usually imprinted in your memory—music, smells, the location and what you were doing. For example, I can remember some details about first dances and new jobs, but I have a photographic memory of the time a huge chunk of earwax fell out of my ear. Why? Because I was  ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED. It still haunts me. I still discuss it with my inner self. How did it get there when I swab fairly regularly? How LONG had it been hiding out? Why can’t I suddenly hear better in that ear? I mean, c’mon, that thing was HUGE!

For reasons similar to that, I believe my in-person interviews are better than those I conduct over the phone. If I’m in a pinch, or the client’s schedule is too full, a phone call works, but I avoid those unless absolutely necessary. There’s something about sitting and really talking to somebody that evokes feelings and emotions.

The people I’ve spoken with are very passionate about what they do. They’re usually excited about sharing that with someone. That feeling comes across, and I get to absorb it which enhances the story. I make sure I record my interviews too, that way I can get lost in what I’m hearing without getting lost in note-taking. I’ll note down time markers at critical points for easier transcription.

Writing is all about story-telling. The more I can picture myself as a character in that story, the stronger my writing usually is. Is it that way for you?

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If I had drawn this, I would have made "young ear wax" look a lot more sinister.