Sympathetic Listener
Aug 03, 2010 
So my husband got home from work yesterday and told me this story:
“I was almost to my car when I felt something itching my neck. I reached up to scratch, and this BIG, FAT cockroach zoomed around my head and landed on the ground in front of me. So disgusting!”
And he shivered with the grossness of it all.
Being the loving and concerned wife that I am, I immediately began wondering how I could use his experience in a book. (Of course, I shiver with the grossness of it, too.)
Do you do this? Hear or see something yicky that happens, and start thinking books instead of sympathy?
So before I end, I have to tell you I’ll be succumbing to summer vacation. I might pop in from time to time, but I’ll be on vacation most of August. I can already feel myself going into withdrawals, . . . but it’ll make it that much more exciting come September. See you all in a month!
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I do this all the time, I try to put little bits of other people's lives in my novels. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
lol, when you were telling his story, I was already thinking, "What bug other than a cockroach would be on such-and-so planet? Would it just go around the head, or would it try to burrow under the ear for a minute?"
So, I guess that is a YES!!! I do that, too.
hi miss janet! im gonna miss you lots. i hope you have lots of fun.
the roach made me laugh cause i could just see it. if that happened to a girl she would scream real loud and run. ha ha. i get lots of cool ideas from stuff like that and its fun making up stuff for in a story.
…hugs from lenny
UGH! Gross!!!!
PS You won something on my blog today:)
Have a great month! And yes, I do that too.
I hate cockroaches. HATE THEM. They would never make it into one of my books. I did trap a wasp yesterday in my screen door and left him there and he died a horrible death in the 100 degree heat. So I started thinking about how he will come back to haunt me, him and all his mutant wasp friends.
Maybe that's the same thing.
I do this too. I can't help it. lol.
Have a fantastic vacation. We'll miss you.
Yes, when something yucky happens (to someone else, of course) I often wonder how can I use this in a story? There was this scorpion-thingy once, and my son-in-law…well, we'll see how it all fits in!
Have a great vacation. Hope it's cockroach-free 🙂
Ahhhh… cockroaches???? I think I'd probably freak out first, then maybe think about how to use it in a book :S
Have a great vacation! I'll miss you!
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Yikes! Cockroaches! I'd be shuddering for days.
But you're right. As writer, the first thing I do is cataloging how I could use cool & icky things in writing (or blog/tweet about them).
Yeah, actually. Your husband's story made me think of intelligent alien cockroaches that for some reason layed eggs in his neck so as to be able to take over the world… somehow.
I'm not kidding. This was the first idea that popped into my head when I read your blog post.
You sure have an interesting blog. So I'm going to follow your blog. Come and check out my blog as well, and if you like it, you can follow me too. I'm an aspiring writer.
Enjoy your vacation!
Interesting story after I got past the eww, gross factor!
Oh, ick! Makes my skin crawl just thinking about it!
Have a great vacay and just try to relax…we'll all be here when you get back!
I would FREAK OUT if a cockroach was on me! Seriously…like in need of medication-for life!. A lot of things I can handle…but cockroaches are not one of them. One ON me…*shudder*. Eeewww.
I don't thing I could even put that in a book. (and I often do write skeevy things into scenes.). Cockroaches are my kryptonite.
I'm going to have nightmares tonight.
Have a wonderful rest of your August! 🙂
Love,
Lola
EVERYTHING is fair game when it comes to finding fodder for books. Memories / experiences tweaked with "what if…" are my faves.
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I always wonder how I can use something in a book.
I have thick hair and lizards and bees have gotten stuck in it. I was pretty calm when getting rid of these creatures, but I don't know how I'd handle a disgusting roach.
Ugh! Roaches make me shiver…Hope you're having a nice vacation 🙂
My mouth already formed that "Ewww! Gross!" look when you ended his story. Yes, I do the whole, how can I work that in all the time. Both irritating and interesting how your mind works when you're a writer. Have a great vacation!
LOL, but not really. Thursday night I went to a baby shower. I came home rather late and was sitting in the family room and felt something in my hair. I smashed some sort of bug…it made a HORRID smell all over me, including in my mouth! I had to go take a shower and wash my hair (at midnight) and eat something with a really strong flavor. I chose tuna….I feel for your hubby.
I hope you have a nice holiday. 🙂
How could we not???? It's the stuff that makes books so real..