Characters in Your Midst

Those that enjoy writing novels, poems or essays share the same mentality, I've noticed. It can be paraphrased as a "creative mind", but that label doesn't seem to cut it. Imagination abounds for writers and artists. They see the world differently than those with literal or analytical minds, and thank goodness for that. If no one had any imagination, books would be terribly boring.

I got out of the house the other day, which is a rare accomplishment for a writer. (Most suffer from self-imposed agoraphobia.) As I was driving down the street, I spied two old men sitting in the old-style metal lawn chairs with a black and white dog in between them.

They'd obviously been working on the property and were taking a break when I happened by. Their flannel shirts were rumpled and faded, their jeans hopelessly smudged with dirt. Both men had scraggly, Santa Claus beards and one man puffed on an elaborate pipe as they chatted with their faithful herding dog looking on. What a picture! A snapshot that was worth a million words. I could create a story just from that image alone.
People watching is a great way to find characters for your books.

For instance, I met Tom at karaoke one night. I live in a small town and I thought I knew everyone. But up walks Tom, a bow-legged old cowboy with a belt buckle as big as his head. He grinned an enormous, toothless smile and let out a rolling cackle of a laugh that was reminiscent of an old pirate. This was character worthy enough, but my character meter went into overdrive when I saw his expertly-curled handlebar mustache and long gray ponytail beneath his gallon-sized cowboy hat. I was in love! I had to stop myself from salivating and scramble up a napkin to scroll down what I saw. It was too deliciously juicy to pass up.

They're out there folks, but you have to keep your eyes peeled.

Inspiration is everywhere. The next time you're hurrying about your errands and fighting your way through traffic to get home, stop a moment and look around. The crazy old lady with the rainbow-striped socks that seems to endlessly be waiting for the bus every time you pass by, the woman with the really bad wigs at church or the toothless old cowboy you saw at the bar the other night; you never know which one is begging to be a part of your next book.

And hey, they sure make life interesting, don't they? Imagine what they'll do for your writing. ;-)