It seems to me that if you don't eavesdrop on other people's business you can miss out on a lot, especially if you are a writer. Years ago at work I overheard two women talking about shaving their legs. One said to the other, "If I had legs like yours, I'd get a guy to shave them for me."
Then yesterday in a grocery store I saw a man of about 35 walking with one arm gripped tightly around the shoulders of a girl of about 13. As I passed them, I heard this:
Girl: "Why did you hit me?"
Man: "Because you needed to be hit."
As innocent as it could have been, that snippet of conversation disturbed me. There are certainly a lot of blanks a writer's imagination could fill in.
Do you eavesdrop? Do you find it grist for your fiction-writing grindstone?
Monday, February 16, 2009
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6 comments:
Yes I do eavesdrop. You overhear some thoroughly entertaining material.
Yes, I eavesdrop while walking to work. Sometimes I have to cross the street and miss out on the rest of the story, which is disappointing.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
I love to eavesdrop - you can hear the most interesting remarks.
Jane Kennedy Sutton
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/janesutton/
I believe most people eavesdrop. I also love watching people, especially at the mall. While I sit and eat at the food court, a whole scenario spreads before my eyes. Very entertaining.
Gwyn Ramsey
http://gwynramsey.blogspot.com
One can't help but eavesdrop sometimes. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff I overhear while sketching animals at the zoo...
Sure I do. It's our DUTY (smile) as writers. That lover's quarrel behind closed doors - I got my ear up to the door. I want to know how to write a REAL lover's spat!
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