Eavesdropping

In his book 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, Gary Provost says eavesdropping is one way to improve your writing when you're not writing:

"Be nosy. Listen to conversations on the bus, in the elevator. Screen out the words sometimes and listen only to the music. Tune in to teenagers' conversations and you'll pick up the latest slang. Pretend to be reading on the park bench, and you'll hear how words are used to convey more than they mean. Find out what people are talking about, what they care about. All of this will help you to communicate more effectively through your writing."

Lou Willett Stanek, in her book So You Want to Write a Novel, encourages the writer to go all out when it comes to eavesdropping:

"You need a cop in your story and you know he doesn't talk like your banker husband? If you live in New York, there is almost always a parade somewhere with a gaggle of cops lining the street talking to one another. Hang around and listen . . . if you live somewhere else, discover where the cops hang out, take a walk, and eavesdrop. It's okay. You're working."

Any place where a group of people are gathered — weddings, restaurants, the mall — is a treasure trove of conversation which can be used in your writing.

Assignment: Collect five snatches of conversation throughout your workday. Write as much about the conversations in your writer's notebook.