Friday, February 4, 2011

It’s nice to be the “fly on the wall” and watch things play out. Being a lifelong people watcher, I thrive off of studying others. There are times this might appear as if I’m staring at them. And I suppose I am, lost in contemplating all that they do with an unparalleled scrutiny.

I could go to a crowded area and sit for hours, doing nothing other than watching the interactions between folks, what they do and how they go about it. For me, this is a sheer delight, but also, it’s a way for me to better understand folks. See what makes them tick. See, first-hand, how people behave, what they emote and then watch how their actions are received by others.

As an author who adores delving deep into the psyches of her characters, people watching serves a valuable purpose. As such, not only do I attend regular classes, seminars, lectures, etc on human behavior, but I can also be found gazing at folks while out and about, wondering what they’re thinking. Why they’re doing whatever it is they are. And why they’re treating others the way the do. Absorbing all of this allows me to breathe more depth into the fictional beings I birth. And so, should you bump into me out and about, living my everyday life, don’t be surprised if I pause to observe your every action, a content smile upon my face.