Today is the FIVE HOUR birthday bash for Ivy. Last night was the sleep over. Only the BFF'S and above were privledged to swing an invite to that. I'm tired. I'll say that again. I'm tired. What with everyone wanting to ride (those poor horses) and they all want to zoom on the zip line.
I've been listening though. It's so convenient to have these girls over. I am furiously writing, taking notes on the tone of their voices and the words they use. And they just look at me as if I'm SNOOPIN'. Oh the gossipin' they can do. Sheesh! Last night one of them was talking when she noticed moi pretending like I couldn't care less what she said. Then! She grabbed the other girls, pulling them into another room. That's when my chin hit the floor. HUMPH. KIDS THESE DAYS!!
Do you listen in on the conversations that your kids have? J...just for writing purposes, you understand. Do you get the cold shoulder? I mean, I try to pretend like I'm not listening. But I get caught up in the moment. *grin*
Have a great weekend. I think I'll head to bed early tonight. Very early.
Holy Cow!! You are much braver than I am. LOL I'm glad Ivy had a good birthday bash.
ReplyDeleteI listen in on kids' conversations all the time. I've gotten some dirty looks from other groups of teens because I'll edge closer and closer to their conversations. LOL Oh well, the things we have to do in the name of research. :0)
Ahhhhh, research. Ain't it something? I couldn't believe I was SHUNNED from the conversation. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep on listening too. And hey! They gossip! I mean really gossip. :) Not that I'm trying to actually LISTEN. Ya know? :)
Is your daughter's name Ivy? I think that is quite possibly the prettiest girl name I've ever heard. I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteHow funny about the note-taking. I don't write kids very often, so no. But you'd have a hay day in my classroom. I teach 5th graders, so I know what you mean!
Thank you Katie. I love her name too.
ReplyDeleteAren't they funny? And when they see me coming with my little note pad, off they run. They head for the hills. :)
I used to when all my kids lived at home. Not to be nosy, but to get a handle on where they were coming from, what kind of influences they were, etc. Yes, I used snippets for writing ideas too:) It was a challenge sometimes to host or drive the gang around but it was also a blessing b/c it helped keep in touch with my kids and their world. Have a fun rest of the weekend:)
ReplyDeleteShame, shame, eavesdropping on conversations! Heck, I do it all the time. It provides great fodder for my next moment of brilliance. Oh, and you can find all about brilliance in some of the past posts on my blog! Got Ya!!
ReplyDeleteHope you survive the party and get plenty of rest. Have a great day!
S
I once got a good blog post after eavesdropping on people walking in front of me. It's what writers do. But I can see where kids, who are so sensitive to adult presence, would run and hide. I bet it makes your dialogue really come alive to catch those snippets when you can.
ReplyDeleteHope you get a wonderful sleep tonight!
Karen, I love these days with the girls. Ahhhh :)
ReplyDeleteScott, HEY YOU!! I'm gonna get ya! Hmmm, Robyn is thinking of a way to put a sign up on Scott's blog. Hmmmm HA!
ReplyDeleteI survived. YAY!:)
Tricia, OH honey! Did I ever get my ears full yesterday and today. My dialogue LIVES! "Oh MY." *she says with a shocked countenance*
ReplyDeleteTime for night-night. :)
Hmm...trick question? Sure I eavesdrop tons, but mostly on strangers in public places. I have the distinct advantage of living in an urban area and having a public transit commute. I also work on a college campus, surrounded by older teens all day. (Side note to YA writers: college kids censor themselves far less than high schoolers, so quality eavesdropping opportunities on campus are abundant.)
ReplyDeleteEavesdropping on your own kids can create trust issues, I'm discovering. My daughter is only 7, but she has a strong sense of privacy already, and the less I give it, the more sneaky she acts.
Oh no! I would never violate Ivy's trust or her friends. They know I'm trying to emulate how they talk and their vocabulary too. Because they know I write MG and YA. They are MG, so they really don't mind. I suppose I'll stop when they are in high school though. And that's when I'll hang out at the coffee shop more. And since I home-school, I have lots of chances to listen in, just between her and the boys.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're researching then: not what they say, but HOW they say it. Listening is your best tool, absolutely.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, does Ivy sound different talking to girls than to her brothers? I remember reading research on male/female cross talk from this linguist Deborah Tannen that's fascinating.
OH laurel! She definitely sounds different. And I just realized how different when I read your comment. Thanks for showing me something today! I need to read that talk. :) Sounds fascinating.
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