Comments on: The writer’s toolkit: Eavesdropping for dialogue http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/ A veteran publishing insider's views on how to get published in today's marketplace Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:53:12 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Overheard « The Great Firewall http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-11138 Overheard « The Great Firewall Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:24:15 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-11138 [...] Alan Rinzler has posted on the importance of eavesdropping as a writer’s tool. LikeBe the first to like this post. [...] [...] Alan Rinzler has posted on the importance of eavesdropping as a writer’s tool. LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

]]> By: Remembering English: A blog by Midge Raymond, author of Forgetting English http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6789 Remembering English: A blog by Midge Raymond, author of Forgetting English Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:49:26 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6789 [...] of fiction should check out this post on Alan Rinzler’s blog about how to eavesdrop to help with writing dialogue. I constantly assign fiction students to [...] [...] of fiction should check out this post on Alan Rinzler’s blog about how to eavesdrop to help with writing dialogue. I constantly assign fiction students to [...]

]]> By: Paulo Campos http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6486 Paulo Campos Wed, 12 May 2010 16:33:47 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6486 Bars have been a great resource for me. Once, two stools down from me at a bar: Patron 1: Say, do you live on 84 Street. Between 2nd and 3rd Ave, yeah? Patron 2: I do, indeed. Patron 1: I thought so. On Jimmy Donnally's block, yeah? Patron 2 (slaps his drink down & staggers off his bar stool): THEN YOU'RE A F---ING TRAITOR! Another: I agree. The iPhone or iPod (discrete attachable microphones aren't too expensive) are great and innocuous. My brother once set his iPhone down on the table and captured an intense political argument during a family dinner. We're both writers and have (discretely) used swatches of what was said in our work. Bars have been a great resource for me.

Once, two stools down from me at a bar:
Patron 1: Say, do you live on 84 Street. Between 2nd and 3rd Ave, yeah?
Patron 2: I do, indeed.
Patron 1: I thought so. On Jimmy Donnally’s block, yeah?
Patron 2 (slaps his drink down & staggers off his bar stool): THEN YOU’RE A F—ING TRAITOR!

Another: I agree. The iPhone or iPod (discrete attachable microphones aren’t too expensive) are great and innocuous. My brother once set his iPhone down on the table and captured an intense political argument during a family dinner. We’re both writers and have (discretely) used swatches of what was said in our work.

]]> By: Kelly Wittmann http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6483 Kelly Wittmann Tue, 11 May 2010 21:43:41 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6483 What a fun post! I'll definitely be linking. What a fun post! I’ll definitely be linking.

]]> By: Chrissa http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6473 Chrissa Sun, 09 May 2010 02:35:13 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6473 I love eavesdropping. I work in a department/discount store, and the types of things people say always surprises me. It's quite a crowded place, but even when it's just me and a pair of customers in an aisle, they assume I can't or won't listen. Today I heard a little girl and her mother discussing what the daughter would buy with the eleven dollars she had in her purse. Girl: "I want this cookbook. THIS one, the italian one." Mother: "Why in the world would you want a dumb old cookbook?" Girl: "Cuz I'm gonna be a chef. An Italian chef. In Paris." Thank god I had my notebook for that one. I love eavesdropping. I work in a department/discount store, and the types of things people say always surprises me. It’s quite a crowded place, but even when it’s just me and a pair of customers in an aisle, they assume I can’t or won’t listen.

Today I heard a little girl and her mother discussing what the daughter would buy with the eleven dollars she had in her purse.

Girl: “I want this cookbook. THIS one, the italian one.”

Mother: “Why in the world would you want a dumb old cookbook?”

Girl: “Cuz I’m gonna be a chef. An Italian chef. In Paris.”

Thank god I had my notebook for that one.

]]> By: nathan moya http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6470 nathan moya Sat, 08 May 2010 22:50:07 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6470 It's difficult, but try eavesdropping at the grocery store. I suppose it makes you look like you're following people...but what they hey, you get to hear some very funny conversation about toilet paper, cookies, and frozen food. And listening to people get mad about the deli not having the right sandwich meat is kind of funny--especially when the person working responds with really sarcastic remarks. Have fun NM It’s difficult, but try eavesdropping at the grocery store. I suppose it makes you look like you’re following people…but what they hey, you get to hear some very funny conversation about toilet paper, cookies, and frozen food. And listening to people get mad about the deli not having the right sandwich meat is kind of funny–especially when the person working responds with really sarcastic remarks.

Have fun
NM

]]> By: Rich Dailey http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6457 Rich Dailey Thu, 06 May 2010 15:43:05 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6457 My favorite spot: parked close to the entrance of a Walmart, preferably near the handicapped parking. RD My favorite spot: parked close to the entrance of a Walmart, preferably near the handicapped parking.
RD

]]> By: Lourdes http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6454 Lourdes Thu, 06 May 2010 13:43:17 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6454 I love this idea! Will start eavesdropping immediately... I love this idea! Will start eavesdropping immediately…

]]> By: Carolyn Jewel http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6444 Carolyn Jewel Wed, 05 May 2010 15:55:43 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6444 The iPhone has a couple of apps that let you do recordings. So if you happen to be out without your notebook and pen, you could simply repeat the dialogue into the phone. Great advice about simply listening to who is saying what. I also like to observe how things are said -- noting how body language or tone of voice changes the meaning of the words. The iPhone has a couple of apps that let you do recordings. So if you happen to be out without your notebook and pen, you could simply repeat the dialogue into the phone.

Great advice about simply listening to who is saying what. I also like to observe how things are said — noting how body language or tone of voice changes the meaning of the words.

]]> By: Wendy Sullivan http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/comment-page-1/#comment-6437 Wendy Sullivan Tue, 04 May 2010 21:24:21 +0000 http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/05/04/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/#comment-6437 Eavesdropping is the aural answer to people watching. I really oughta do it more. Wendy Eavesdropping is the aural answer to people watching. I really oughta do it more.

Wendy

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