From: mdhangton@gmail.com   
      
   On Wednesday, May 14, 2014 7:19:40 PM UTC-4, bre...@sff.net wrote:   
   > On 5/14/2014 7:19 AM, David Friedman wrote:   
   >    
   > > On 5/13/14 10:51 PM, C. E. Gee wrote:   
   >    
   > >> I've noticed, many writers have problems with dialog as they don't   
   >    
   > >> socialize with such people. Many writers graduate from college, then   
   >    
   > >> go on to fairly high-end careers, working with others of like   
   >    
   > >> backgrounds. And they socialize mostly with others of similar   
   >    
   > >> backgrounds.   
   >    
   > >>   
   >    
   > > I expect I've socialized with a fair range, given my SCA involvement. I   
   >    
   > > suspect the problem is that I don't have an ear for it, don't notice and   
   >    
   > > remember how different people speak.   
   >    
   > >   
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   > It is a mistake to model your dialog upon what you see on TV or in    
   >    
   > movies -- screenwriters get big money for writing that dialog, and it is    
   >    
   > not like life.   
   >    
   > However, it is not difficult to hear real-life conversation. Restaurants    
   >    
   > and bars are good for this, especially those who do not have TVs or loud    
   >    
   > background music. Conventions and meetings, offices (all the time spent    
   >    
   > in doctors' waiting rooms can be usefully spent eavesdropping in the    
   >    
   > office staff). Public transport, movie and theater lobbies, airport    
   >    
   > lounges -- there are millions of places to hang and listen to people.   
   >    
   Go to a go go bar during the day shift.  You can study women all you want,   
   stare at them, and nobody will challenge you, because it's the norm there.    
   Some of them are ethnic, homegirls, done a little time, were hookers in   
   Europe.  A lot of types that    
   authors try to write about.   
      
   Learn to say "maybe later" to all of them, or it will get expensive.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)