Playwriting - Part 8C - Honing Skills Outside of Writing, People Watching

As a playwright, you have to be able to use your imagination. It is true that your characters will become real people to you. It is likely they will start talking you and telling you how the play is going to go. However, in order to have this happen, you do need a good imagination.

When eavesdropping, imagination is necessary if you are wanting to complete partial conversations that you hear. Another exercise that should be practiced is that of people watching. You don't need to be near enough to hear anybody when it comes to people watching. All you have to do is place yourself in an area where a lot of people are or where even just a couple of people are and watch them. Don't concern yourself with what is really happening.

Watch people and let your imagination make up stories of what is happening between people. Don't let your imagination run away with you so much that you become worried about what is happening, but imagine things that their physical actions might convey to others. Maybe you see a guy touch a girl on the small of her back. This could indicate a variety of different things that are happening. Here are just a few things.

• The guy is the girl's boyfriend. He is reaching over to be intimate.
• The guy and the girl are just friends, but a mosquito landed on her back and he is reaching over to try to swat the mosquito.
• The guy is reaching over to help the girl so she doesn't lose her balance on an uneven surface.

Find busy places like lines into concerts, lines in grocery store checkouts, and places where people gather to watch sports. There are probably many busy places that you can just sit and watch others. Find places where you will see couples or groups of three people interact. The places don't even have to be extremely busy is you are welcome to be where you are. If you are welcome to sit in an office and chat with a secretary at times and watch the people who come in and go out of the office, do that. If you are welcome to sit anywhere after a meeting is over where people are around, do that. Just be certain to watch people and to let your imagination decide on what's happening.

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