Monday Moment #119: a writing prompt for your work-in-progress

(If you’ve already read this then skip past all the italicized blah-di-blah and start writing.) Monday Moments are writing prompts for your work-in-progress. They are questions that come from my experiences and are my favorite way to find out more about my characters. I find I learn a lot. Some of it I use. Some of it I don’t. But I always, always get to know my characters better just by answering the question. I hope you do too.)


I was just opening Blogger to write my next Monday Moment about carnivals, but this Moment has now been hijacked by eavesdropping. That is, I'm  eavesdropping on two unsuspecting teen girls.

I wish they'd speak up so I can hear all they are saying word for word.

But now I bring you: THINGS OVERHEARD WHILE EAVESDROPPING ON TEENS WHEN I'M SUPPOSE TO WRITING (nobody ever warns teens that a writer might be sitting at the table next to them)

"She looks like someone who would eat people." Yep! This is the line that caught my ear and made me keep listening. 

"It looks like a diamond booger."

Girl One: "How much do you weigh?"

Girl Two: "Uh, about 106 pounds."

"Girl One: "I think I weigh about 109."

 A bit later, 109 lbs. says to 106 lbs., "Your hands look really skinny right now. I don’t know why." 

Now, they are dancing. One teaching the other dance moves right here, about four feet from my table.

I wonder what they'd do if I asked them if I could learn, too?

Maybe I should start to beat box. 

Who can get anything done when there are dancing teens in the room? Not me.

Okay... dancing is done. Back to eavesdropping.

"Well, I'm a loner so..."

And, back to dancing.

"I'll never go anywhere without my eyeliner. I have gel black eyeliner. I have black pencil eyeliner. I have purple black eyeliner..." (Oh, I give up. I can't keep up with that many eyeliners. There must have been 8 or more.

No, no, no. Don't whisper. Now I can't hear a thing!

Ah...they're packing up, heading to dance class. Bye, girls. It was fun. Always a learning experience.

But now, three older teen girls have just joined the party. Let the next round of eavesdropping begin.

Q: When has your character eavesdropped and what did they hear?