I heard that (Toni McGee Causey on the art of eavesdropping)

Yesterday on the Murder She Writes blog, Toni McGee Causey -- author of Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not-exactly) Family Jewels and Bobbie Faye's Very (very, very, very) Bad Day -- posted about one of my favorite pastimes: eavesdropping. (Here's what I said about it last spring when I was being a New York vampire.)

Says Toni, "I have a lot of fun whenever I’m traveling… or out at restaurants… or sitting at big family gatherings, because inevitably, someone says something that sparks an idea I can use to deepen a character, give a flavor that it something other than just me, just how I would react in that moment. Sometimes I’ll immediately make a note, but often, the best bits of dialog stick with me for years and will resurface just when I need that little detail to help create a character."

And then she goes on to give an insightful breakdown of what she's listening for: cadence/rhythm, syntax, conflict, and pitch/tone. Very interesting. Check it out.

And click here for a fun Bobbie Faye book trailer.