So I’m at a coffee shop where the live music is streamed via internet and my hubby says to me, Did you see the lead in feed? The camera was on you and Kim and your hands were going wild. What were you two talking about?
I’m a hand talker and sometimes I also slap table tops. Is there a support group for people like me? You probably think by now that I’m an extrovert and that I like to be the center of attention, but not true. I’m more of an observer. I’ve been told I’m hard to get to know, that I’m reserved. It’s not that I’m shy, I’m not afraid to speak up or take the lead when necessary. In fact I used to be the extrovert who liked all the attention, but somewhere along the way, I’ve slipped into midrovertism (I just made that word up. It’s for people who aren’t clearly extroverts or introverts.)
My question to you is, have you ever read about a primary or secondary character whose identifying trait is hand talking? Would having to mention heavy gesticulation with most of her dialogue be interesting or annoying?
I’m guessing annoying.
Hmmm. Maybe I have to try sitting on my hands, or shoving them into my pockets when I talk. But then I’d probably have these weird jerking body movements going on, and that could be worse.
So, what were we talking about? I wish I could say we were deep into issues like how to heal global warming or Google world denomination or who I thought should win Survivor this year—but actually, we were talking about our kids and writing. (Surprise?)
How about you? Any fellow hand talkers out there? Any tips?
I don't think I'm a hand talker, but then again, I've never watched myself on a video feed, so I dunno. You'd have to ask my friends.
ReplyDeleteAs for hand talking in writing, I think a little description woudl go a looooong way. No need to punctuate every bit of dialogue with a hand-wave or something, just a short note about how the character tends to talk with his/her hands. Could be from POV of another character, as in:
Jenny finished talking and let her hands fall in her lap. Elle wondered for a moment how many calories Jenny had just burned over the course of the conversation. Talking, for Jenny, seemed to be a full-body affair, almost an aerobic workout.
Nice turn of phrase, Simon. Is that a excerpt from one of your short stories?
ReplyDeleteIf not, you should use it. (I don't mind if you name one of your characters after me, as long as jenny is the hand talker.....ha)
Nope, just made it up for your comment section. :)
ReplyDeleteFeel free to appropriate it for your own purposes, good lady, if you feel so inclined.
I've never noticed you to be a hand talker! Maybe I'm just not much of an observer - ha!
ReplyDelete