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| I have to do what? |
I started working on the next lesson of the writing course that I'm taking. This one is all about character. I was so excited to be focusing on characters. Whenever I read a story, it is the character that captures, that pulls me in. You can have a crazy, amazing plot, but if the characters aren't engaging, that plot isn't enough for me.
After the little "lecture" at the beginning of the lesson, it got weird. The first instruction is to go out somewhere and people watch, which as writers, I think most do anyway. Lots of people watch other people, right? The odd part was the notes. I was instructed to go to a coffee shop or restaurant or somewhere, pick one person, and make a page full of notes about them. Really focus on them, their eyebrows, the soles of their shoes, the wear and tear on their clothing. Focus on them without them noticing, of course. While I am guilty of sometimes seeing someone and taking [mental] note of their hair or the top they're wearing or their facial expression, I've never studied them. So, though I was hesitant, I did it. I took the notes on my phone, so it would just look like I was texting. I don't think I got quite a whole page out of it, the person I was watching (out of the corner of my eye) got up and I wasn't going to follow her. Though I understand the importance of the exercise, it was still weird. I'm supposed to do it again. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. We'll see what happens.
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