Or in my case, listen and write it down.
The best place for eavesdropping is one where you'll blend in. A train ride, for example.
I like to name characters seen on the train and imagine their stories.
Here's an exchange between a boy in a Yankee cap and another kid, possibly his older sister.
I don't think I'll be using this. Go ahead and steal it if you'd like.
BOY (as we pulled into the South Orange stop on the NJ Transit Mid-Town Direct to NYC):
"This looks just like New York!"
GIRL: You've never even been to New York.
BOY: "Well, it looks just like what I've seen on Cash Cab."
What's the best eavesdropping conversation you've heard?
Or are you really going to tell me you never eavesdrop...
Check this site for even more confessions of writers eavesdropping.
http://teazurs.blogspot.com/2013/01/eavesdropping-its-your-job.html
That sure sounds like something a kid would say. Very authentic and funny. Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteI tell kids I write historical fiction because I'm nosey...and research is a much more acceptable way to dig into other people's lives than listening in at restaurants (though I do that, too).
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking in, Caroline and Rosi, fellow eavesdroppers. Happy listening!
ReplyDelete