I used to think it was a habit only a few people had. And I didn’t give it much thought. Now I do. Now I think it’s incredibly common. 

We all have nonstop talkers in our “life space.” Like the  neighbor down the street. You try to avoid the guy if you see him out in front of his house. If you’re in your car and he sees you, you’re probably all right. You wave with the window down, speed up a little, and yell, “Hey, Billy, late for a soccer game. Have a good weekend.” If you’re on foot, you could be screwed.

Why? Because he’s gonna trap you and talk about stuff you couldn’t care less about. Plus, he won’t ask you one question about you. Even if he does, once you start to answer, he’ll interrupt and turn the conversation right back around to his stuff.

When I was a teenager, my mother had a friend who could really bump her gums. One time Mom was on the phone with this lady. She wasn’t saying anything but “Uh huh. Uh huh.” Then I saw her put the phone down and go to the bathroom. The phone lay there for a good five minutes. When she came back, she started back into the “Uh huh. Uh huh.” Later I asked, “How do you get away with that?” “Oh, that’s easy, darling. You should try it with your current girlfriend.” 

“Ah, I don’t think so, Mom. Way too risky.” 

“I  have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

Why have I posted this short piece? I’ll assume you’re a writer or on the way to being one. If you fall into either category and are a nonstop talker, work on not being one. It’ll improve your writing immeasurably.