Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Writer or eavesdropper?

Okay, I have a guilty confession to make. Sometimes I go to a coffee shop and sit down just to hear other people's conversations. Yeah, I know, that makes me an eavesdropper, but I love listening to real conversations and seeing how people speak (and perhaps pick up some interesting tidbits that could later be used to fuel my ideas).

But, isn't this one way to help create realistic dialogue? If you don't listen to people and watch how they act, how does the writer know they are creating realistic characters? That's my argument and I'm sticking with it.

Don't tell me I'm the only one who does this. Who else loves to catch bits of conversation? Who out there catches sight of someone (whether it's what they say, what they wear or how they look) and thinks that they could use that quirk in their stories? 

4 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

If I wasn't so oblivious I might catch it!

Jenna Cooper said...

Here's my take on it: if someone is talking in a public place where they can be overheard, it's fair game to eavesdrop.
Or maybe that's my justification because I do it, too. ;)

Libby said...

Dude, I live to eavesdrop. I sometimes make my husband stop talking so I can listen to the people sitting around us.

Talli Roland said...

I LOVE listening to conversations, probably a little too much! I've been caught in the act several times.

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