So. I seem to have gotten a reputation among my friends to be the first to declare “Put it in a book!” when someone tells a great anecdote or makes a great character observation.
Example: I noticed my boyfriend always turns on lights by reaching through the top of the lampshade for the switch. I hadn’t the slightest idea why. It has never occurred to me to turn on a light that way. When I asked him about it, he paused for a moment to think about why. Turns out … he’s 6’4” and just tends to always see lamps from the top down.
That’s the **perfect** little character detail to show height and point of view if I ever write a super tall person.
I love it so much. I wrote it down right away.
I’ve got several (several) pages in my Bullet Journal every year dedicated to writing down these details and anecdotes. In fact, the stories in my free collection Blink were inspired by these hastily written notes from real life.
I pay attention. I write things down. And I get to find the most fun details. There are story and character ideas everywhere if you know where to look. The truth is stranger than fiction.
Here are some more examples from #putitinabook. All true.
- A narcissistic, selfish character who is filing predatory legal paperwork, but is so preoccupied by how she can hurt the other person that she doesn’t notice her name is spelled wrong on the forms
- A bride who hosts her bridal party for a pre-wedding spin class, and attends wearing white leggings, white sports bra and a wreath of white flowers in her hair
- A character who has been friends with a celebrity for more than a decade, but still always has to check the celebrity’s Wikipedia page to confirm when their birthday is
- Single man who is petrified of commitment but then is invited to be the 3rd in a threesome with a married couple … and then word of his, um, services start to spread around the other married couples in town.
If you ever hang out with me or have a long conversation, I may very well write down something you say to #putitinabook later. I’m pretty good about asking my friends if it’s okay if they serve as inspiration. I’ll be nice. I promise.