The Writer’s Guide to Eavesdropping

JES Hays — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 21:36:09 +0000

^{Writers are incurable eavesdroppers — and we should be. It’s our job to create believable characters, and in order to create, you have to understand. Thus, we spend a great deal of time listening to real characters interact.}

^{Never let an opportunity pass you by. Pay attention to those two old ladies behind you in the check-out line as they complain about their ungrateful grandchildren. Prick up your ears as the couple at the next table discusses their finances over dinner. Sit back in a corner of the mall and absorb.}

^{But you’re not just collecting gossip when you eavesdrop. Here’s what you should be listening for:}

^Rhythm^{– people don’t deliver information in packets, like an encyclopedia or computer program. Conversation ebbs and flows, and you must pay attention to catch the rhythm of the speech. Rhythm can be a regional trait as well, so familiarize yourself with the cadence of local conversation as you listen. A New Yorker, for example, will speak in a more rapid, brusque manner when compared to a South Carolinian.}
^{Tone 1}^{– the attitude or emotion of the speaker. This can be freely expressed or hidden, so you must pay attention to body language in addition to words. But that’s a subject for a later article.}
^{Tone 2}^{– when conversation is emotionally charged, people speak in a higher tone of voice than when they are relaxed. Emotion tightens the vocal cords. Professional speakers utilize a lower, relaxing tone. Think Morgan Freeman.}
^Diction^{– word choice. This is unique to every speaker. Educated people use longer, more vivid words, while uneducated people use simpler words. Regional dialect plays a part as well, especially with the uneducated speaker.}
^{Sentence Length}^{– educated people usually use longer sentences than uneducated people. Shorter sentences can also signal tension or urgency. People also tend to shorten or abbreviate their sentences in informal situations.}
^Syntax^{– the way words are arranged within sentences. English typically uses a subject-verb-object order, for example. Non-English speakers often give themselves away with syntax as well as word choice.}

^{The art of eavesdropping, you can see, is a bit more complicated than it seems. Or it is if you’re a writer looking for material.}

^{What’s your best eavesdropping technique?}

tone – J.E.S. Hays

The Writer’s Guide to Eavesdropping