You might notice something about writers in general (at least it’s true about myself) that when you start talking about your life on the job, we’ll tend to be more attentive than average. When you’re a writer, hearing an on-the-ground story of someone else’s job, weather it’s a Subway employee dealing with an oblivious manager or an EMT dealing with a weird call, it’s all gist for the mill. We collect stories and impressions and insights, better for when we’re writing from a similar POV. So, for us, a blog post like “Underground DSM-IV – Full Version” is a goldmine. I know most of the terms because my day job is in Behavioral Health care, but it’s worth it for any writer just to add someone’s real-world observations to your characters. Tidbits:
“No one is listening to me,” means “no one is agreeing with me.” This has been remarkably durable over my career. The idea seems to be “If you were really listening to me you couldn’t possibly disagree.” Countering with the statement “I hear what you are saying, but i don’t agree with it” can actually provoke assaultive rage.
Gazing intently slightly upward — choosing among several things to say (Lots of people do this.) The further up the gaze, the more possible responses – usually not a healthy sign. Gazing at ceiling: = Choosing among a multitude of things to say, i.e. lying.
