Barbara J. Hamby

One Liners

As a writer, I always listen to conversations, sometimes even eavesdropping, for original lines to use in my work. Yesterday I went into a restaurant alone just before 1:00 p.m. for lunch. As I waited, for some time, to be seated, I heard a waitress say they were short-handed. So the man who was supposed to seat incoming diners, was also the cashier. The noon lunch crowd was leaving to go back to work, forming a long line at the register. After I waited for some time, another woman came in and I told her we had picked a bad time. A few minutes later, the cashier said he had a booth and would be with me as soon as possible.

The other woman who was waiting suggested we share the booth, if it was a large one. She had magazines with her and I was carrying a book. “We can both read,” she offered. I agreed, so after another few minutes’ wait, we were seated together in a back corner. And, of course, we began talking, so not much reading took place.

As part of our introductions, we talked about how our names were very popular in the past, but don’t seem to be given to children these days. I told her that Margaret, her name, was also my youngest sister’s name. She said, “I was given that name in 1946.” Thinking that was a clever way to reveal her age, as well as the fact that she was willing to do so, I filed that line away for possible future use. I also reciprocated by telling her I was given my name in 1929.

Recently I’ve read a couple of books by Dean Koontz and admired the way he can use two lines of dialogue to fill the reader in on the background of the conversing characters, as well as what’s going on between them at the time. One of the books I read had such an outrageous plot I would have given up on it, if it weren’t for becoming engrossed in his writing skills. He often throws in lines that are very poetic, as well.

I rationalize that I read fiction to study the writing, in case I ever get around to trying my hand at it. I’d better hurry.

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