help?

[derien]

Anyone want to help me with my NaNo? What in hell would the average college students be talking about at parties? What are the questions people ask when they meet new people? I frikkin suck at socializing, I hate parties, and I've got a character who doesn't know anyone and I'm trying to have her be introduced around to the circle of friends. Why did I get myself into this situation?

Comments

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

Around here, the 'average' college student binge-drinks a lot and enjoys things like skiing, snowboarding, and camping. "What's your major?" is a common question, but I'm not sure if it gets asked at campus parties because I don't go to them.

My party experience is probably not helpful, given its tendency to involve naked hot-tubbing, cloven fruit, and discussion of medieval combat.

[katmaxwell.livejournal.com]

If the people know the people they're associating with at the party, then it's generally what people "normally" talk about -- politics, what's going on in people's lives, etc. -- only with more laughing and thinking things are funny. Because you're all drunk. Also, anything has the possibility to be really funny, because even if you're not drunk, the atmosphere of excitement can make you act really funky.

I find that college guys (especially when drunk, but also when they're sober) find sexual humor hilarious.

Introductions normally run along the lines of "This is so-and-so, they're in my Whatever class," or "This is so-and-so, she's into blah blah blah and I know her from Wherever." And then people ask questions, like "What's your major?" and "Where are you from?" and general things like that. And people either hit it off and just start talking, or a general awkward silence starts and people move away to be entertained.

Hope that's helpful. :)

[derien.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) Yeah, I'm dealing with my main character (or the person who most everything has been from her POV so far) being a non-socializer and knowing almost nobody at the party and trying to talk with another non-socializer. I forgot "where are you from." Damn, that would have been useful. I should go put it in. I could get another couple of lines out of that.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

And then you could have the character either pleased the questioner has heard of their home, annoyed they haven't (assuming something important is/happened there)or really annoyed at some stereotype the questioner spouts forth (I'd imagine people from Boston might get a bit tired of being asked if they paak their kaa in Haavaad Yaad).