When my older sister told me to take a news-writing course in the 10th grade. My teacher, Sharon Babb, became my first mentor and to this day is the one person I credit for teaching me how journalism, more than anything else, is about meeting interesting people and feeding your curiosity. Just out of college, I felt I was a fairly talented writer, but soon learned that in this business the quality of your writing depends on your reporting skills. Your approach, your ability to think ahead in situations and your skills in asking the right questions all help make your stories stand out. Many times, your ability to relate to people will also make you a stronger reporter because a good interviewee can carry a story.
Quotes are like spices.
They're what make the story taste a certain way, but you don't want to use too much. A true journalist is both a thorough reporter and writer, and right now I'm nowhere near either. To get there one day, I always try to take away something from every interview and every story. In certain situations, it can be a learned or acquired skill. For example, there's never a right way to approach the loved one of someone who's died recently or been killed.