In this livestream excerpt from Cheryl Strayed, best-selling author of Wild, she talks about a key point in writing—trust. “If you do believe in the power of story, you must first believe in the power of the story that you have to tell.”

You don’t have to think of an original situation or idea or experience to hook us, she says. You need only to relax and tell us the truth—whether it’s in your life or the truth of the character you are writing.