Roadtrip to NaNo: Creating 3-D Characters By People Watching

November is nearly here! To get ready, we’re taking a Road Trip to NaNoWriMo. On the way, we’ll hear from writers about how their cities can inspire your novel. Today, volunteer Milwaukee Municipal Liason Zhie shares her favorite people-watching suggestions: 

Greetings from Milwaukee, home of the devoted Brew City WriMos (how devoted? Try writing outside while it snows because the café is full and you’re still 300 words shy of your daily goal…).

While Milwaukee WriMos (sadly) can’t plan the weather, there are some things that can be planned ahead of time—namely the plot, main characters, and general setting of your forthcoming novel. When it comes to characters, stories usually have more than just three. By the time you get around to developing these ancillaries, it will probably be the middle of November, and may feel like an unwanted chore. 

This is where People Watching comes in. I have created more than one unexpected secondary character while People Watching (which I am capitalizing because it is a sport). To that end, I’ve compiled a list of places I like to go when I need to quickly develop a wordy wanderer. Think of this as your handy People Watching cheat sheet, useful for those moments when you realize that your character’s child’s English teacher is in desperate need of some depth.

Colleges or Universities

Campuses that allow the public into places like the student union or library can be ideal for people-watching. Think about it: students, faculty, administrators, parents, and custodial workers all frequenting the same narrow paths. Campuses are some of the most densely populated places, and the number one stop on my list.

Museums

Public museums not only encourage People Watching, they are also a great place for setting immersion. Writing a historical novel about a Pharaoh? Time to head over to the Ancient Egypt wing. Traveling back in time to the Triassic Period? Maybe you’ll find a bench near the archaeology exhibit. If you’re lucky, like we are in Milwaukee, your museum might even have a weekly free day for residents.

Public Transportation

This is a great way to get your write-in started before you even reach your destination! Here, the Milwaukee County Transit System allows many a Wrimo the chance to ride the bus, gathering words as they type or scribble away—and the people watching is fantastic! One world inside the bus, and another as you travel along… I highly suggest a window seat.

Airports

While not a place that brings forth the Great Calm when I need to use it for its actual purpose, I find that the airport can be great mini-getaway for writing. There is no shortage of seating and finding coffee is incredibly easy. It is pretty exhilarating to write in such a high energy atmosphere, and the People Watching is spectacular. Everyone is so flustered that they barely notice you compulsively taking notes about them.  

Television Commercials

I offer the following from my co-ML, who uses the television as his optimal People Watching locale. That is, he shops for minor characters by watching commercials. His strategy is to look for commercial actors and actresses who appear in multiple spots – and mash the different bits together into a completed character. Voilà! People Watching, and you don’t even have to leave the couch!

Zhie is a storyteller who sometimes writes things down.  She is a published poet and award-winning playwright, but is happiest when writing fanfiction. Her interest in and research into Tolkien’s Middle-earth has led to panelist participation at events such as DragonCon. She holds a master’s degree in Library Science, allowing her to be a librarian by day and a college professor by night. She lives in Milwaukee County with her co-ML husband, Mark, and their ‘in-home petting zoo’, which includes their nineteen-year-old black lab, Smudge.

Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library.