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Pro tip: a stranger's weird comment at a bus stop in Tacoma gave me my best story idea.
He turned to me and said, 'My neighbor only waters his lawn at 2 a.m., and I've never seen him in the daylight.' Ever get a whole character from one line like that?
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nguyen.angela2mo ago
Read a writing blog that called those "spark lines." The author said she keeps a notebook just for overheard stuff, like a guy at the grocery store complaining his cat only likes expensive shrimp. Those little weird details build a whole person in your head. Your bus stop guy is a perfect example.
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smith.nancy1mo ago
My grocery list became a character sheet.
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kimfisher2mo ago
Doubt the whole "spark lines" thing is that deep, @nguyen.angela. I mean, a guy buying fancy shrimp for his cat just tells me he's got a spoiled pet and maybe too much money. It doesn't automatically make him a deep character. Most of those overheard bits are just people being weird in public, not some key to their soul. You hear someone arguing about yogurt flavors at the bus stop, and that's it, they just really care about yogurt. Building a whole person from one line feels like a stretch.
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phoenix_bailey2mo ago
So you hear that line and just stop at "weird neighbor"? Don't you immediately start asking why? Like, is he a vampire, or just works nights and is super private, or maybe he's hiding something in that lawn? The fun part is picking one reason and seeing where it goes.
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