Good dialogue is often real, great dialogue is often stolen. Using real people’s words to form actual lines is a time-honoured tradition, and has worked for many successful writers. It is also a well-worn writing exercise for budding creatives: go out into the great wide world and listen to what everyone is saying out there.
When I was at school, in an A-Level Creative Writing workshop, we were sent out of the classroom, pen in hand, to go to the canteen and jot down what the rest of the school was saying. This sounds like a great opportunity to learn about the inhabitants of a run-of-the-mill school in south-east England, except for the fact that this was at 10am. There was no one in the canteen, obviously.
Instead we bunked off and went to the common room. That sounds bad but I ended up hearing far more voices there than I would have doing the exercise we were told to do. Granted, I didn’t write anything down, but I was 16, what did you expect?
The point of this, however, is that the activity – if actually carried out – is a simple but effective one. Anyone can do it. Anyone should do it. You should do it. Should you?
The questionable ethics of listening in to other people’s conversations is a valid concern. Though not a crime in the UK, at least according to Rupert Murdoch but not Andy Coulson (see the News of the World scandal <https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/24/phone-hacking-scandal-timeline-trial>), there is a line to be drawn when it comes to eavesdropping. No one wants to be taken to court over the desire to obtain realistic dialogue.
Similarly, we might hear some things we don’t want to. I was once on a rather crowded train to Nottingham next to a woman loudly and proudly breaking up with her boyfriend of several years. While that would make for a great story and certainly makes for an amusing party anecdote, it might be best to avoid lifting straight from her words – if only for the sake of keeping the dialogue clean.
So, wading through the potentially troubling ethics of using other people’s words in our work, how does one go about effectively eavesdropping? Luckily, there is a ridiculously illustrated WikiHow article on some questionable methods (<https://www.wikihow.com/Eavesdrop>). However, if you want a simpler and more specifically writer-focussed way, I’ve got you covered.
Step 1: Bring a notebook and pen.
Your phone could work perfectly well here, and may be subtler when you jot down something someone’s said, but I find having a dedicated, discreet notebook works best. I probably write about as fast as I type on my phone, and having a specific location for these overhead snippets means I’m not flicking through my phone at the drop of a hat, trying to recall exactly what I just heard. The book is there, open, with my pen nearby.
Step 2: Get out there.
Obviously, you’re going to want to be in public. I got most of my best quotes on public transport, but other writers work best elsewhere: in pubs, at the gym, at cafes (<https://alanrinzler.com/2010/05/the-writers-toolkit-eavesdropping-for-dialogue/>)
That’s it. It really is a two-step process. It’s that easy. Get out there and give it a go, and if you hear something real, something strange, something funny; take note.