For those of you familiar with the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, then this exercise will sound familiar to you. I don't remember too many details from the book, but I remember the eccentric Susan "Stargirl" Caraway telling the narrator of the story (Leo Borlock) about one of her favorite past times: people watching. And not just people watching. She took it to the next level to try and come up with their whole life story––their family life, their favorite food, their education, their biggest fear. She looked at them and questioned why one person wore his coat backwards...or why the woman had a wedding ring on both hands.
So here's my challenge to you: go to a public place. A coffee shop or a park or anywhere you can sit down is great, because then you don't have to follow the person around. Find someone who intrigues you. Proceed to write their life story. Think about the questions you might ask this person if you ever were to have a conversation with them. Then, proceed to answer those questions. Let your imagination run wild. You may be writing about a real person, but their story does not need to be accurate.
Have fun!
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