Loren Eaton points out a writing exercise suggested by N.D. Wilson, whose blog I’m going to add to the sidebar. “Go to a public place (restaurant, bus-stop, coffee-shop, etc.). Take a notebook. Sit somewhere that gives your ears full auditory range. Listen. Attempt to copy down whatever dialog drifts your way. . . .”

Loren’s real name, by the way, is Nerol Notae (the final letter of both names being silent). Yes, he’s that Nerol Notae! He cleverly disguised it by writing it backwards so he could blog in relative obscurity, but we have found him out. From now on, the famous Nerol Notae will not be able to hide his blog from his many off-Broadway fans, his Fifth Avenue fans, his Champs-Élysées fans, etc. The world had to know sometime, Nerol. Thanks for the fish.