Why Writers May Not Make Great Friends

This past week I spoke on the phone several times with a friend who was having a problem with a person she deals with regularly in a volunteer situation. She was very distressed. We talked a lot about the things this man said to her and how he behaved. We talked about what she should do.

While these conversations were going on, I sat with the telephone receiver to my ear and thought, "Man, this guy would make a terrific character! What a dramatic situation. There is potential here for a story."

Unfortunately, I then said all those things out loud. My friend didn't seem to mind, but she did point out that she doesn't know anyone else who speculates about motivation for behavior when talking about real people.