Editor's Note: In part one of this two-part series, Scott discusses the first two steps of his four step plan for finding and noting the drama, content, and humor that surrounds all of us on a daily basis. He offers specific steps and a general philosophy for writers and thought leaders who want to keep their writing interesting and their minds engaged. Read part two of this piece on RainToday.com.

Van Wilder said it best: "Write that down."

Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one of the following things:

• Where did he get such great stories?
  
  
• Why can't I think of examples like that?
  
  
• How does she always develop amazing illustrations?

The answer is: compulsive collection of content.

In writing and thought leadership, content is king. (Duh, right?) Every book, article, report, manual, sermon, speech, and poem has this one thing in common. But the one vital step too many thought leaders fail to address is the compulsive collection of content.

Everything you write has the potential to be spicier, funnier, smarter, more interesting and more relevant. And the steps you must take to make this happen are as follows:

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