I remember back when I was in college, I took a speech class my freshman year. It was one of my favorite classes, and I loved our teacher (though I forget her name now).

One morning early in the semester, the lecture was interrupted by a former student who rushed into the classroom in a rage. He got in the teacher’s face, wanting to know why she had given him a bad grade the previous semester. She did her best to calm him down. As she escorted him from the room, she promised to discuss the issue with him after class.

My classmates and I witnessed this brief and intense exchange with a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement. We didn’t know what to make of it.

Once the former student left the room, our instructor asked us to take out a piece of paper and pen (this was way before computers) . She proceeded to ask a series of questions: What color was the student’s shirt? What was his hair color? How tall was he? Was he wearing a hat? What kind of shoes was he wearing?

There were only about 10 questions, but her intention became clear. Were we paying attention to the details? Her point? In a crisis or when witnessing a dramatic event, like a public argument, most people focus on the words that are said and how they’re spoken rather than the finer details of someone’s appearance.

People love watching other people and the events in their lives, from a car crash to a heated argument between people. We can’t help but be sucked into the drama. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re very good at recalling details. Yet in writing and in life, it’s a valuable skill. Those powers of observation can be useful when you’re a witness to a crime or simply people watching at the beach. You never know when you might need to relay those details, whether for a police investigation or for writing a mystery or memoir.  

This practice is also helpful for writers when developing their characters from the inside out. It’s not just the physical characteristics to be aware of, but also their facial expressions and gestures, the way they move and their mindset and attitude. It can help you form the foundation of each character’s personality.  

When quietly observing people, there are six areas to focus on. Each one can help you develop multi-dimensional characters.

Physical attributes. This might be the easiest to make a note of when observing people, though not always. Pay attention to the basics. If you see someone interesting on the street, note things like height, weight, hair color, skin tone, eye color, whether they’re wearing eyeglasses or sunglasses. Do they have thick, bushy eyebrows, or are they plucked thin? Does the woman wear lipstick, and if so, what color?

Think about how your own characters might appear if another person was observing them. Think also about how their physical attributes can define who they are as characters.

Clothing. Next, pay attention to how your observed subjects are dressed. Are they wearing a suit and tie or a dress, or more casually in jeans and a T-shirt? One indicates someone heading to a business meeting or a formal dinner, while the second person might be a student or someone going out to a movie. What kind of shoes are they wearing? Are they spiky high heels or casual flats? Do they wear glasses or contacts? Are they wearing a windbreaker or sweater? Is there head covered?

Think about how your own characters are dressed. Does their dress show who they are or what they do for a living? If your character loves music or attending concerts, for example, have them wear concert T-shirts of their favorite band. Are they an athlete? Have them wear athletic shoes and a baseball cap.  

Nonverbal cues. Think about facial expressions and hand gestures. When you observe people, do their eyebrows rise up on their forehead when they’re surprised? Do they talk with their hands, or do they lay still at their sides when they speak? Do they smile a lot, and does that smile reach their eyes? What do their hands look like? Are they rough and callused because they work outdoors, or are they smooth and polished as if they’ve never lifted a finger to do housework? Do they have other types of body behaviors, like constant blinking, twirling their hair, pursing their lips? These small movements can give you an idea about a character’s mindset in your own stories.

Body language and movement. When you study your subject, look at how they move their body. Are they seated or standing? Are they seated upright in rapt attention, or are they slouched or hunched over at their desk? Are they sitting back against their chair, or leaning forward as if to hear every word their companion is saying? Are their movements swift, or slow and careful? Do they limp, or walk slowly and gingerly as if their limbs ache? Or are they racing ahead as if they’re running late? You can tell a lot about a person’s age, health and mindset by paying attention to their body movements. Sometimes it says more about what’s on their minds than the words they say.

Behavior alone vs. with other people. People tend to behave differently when they’re alone than when they’re around other people. For example, at first glance, a young woman traveling alone with a furrowed brow might be worried about something in her personal life, like a doctor appointment or an exam at school. But the same young woman out to dinner with friends may be livelier and more engaged.

Similarly, people behave differently around different groups of people. A child might be quieter, more sullen at home around his overbearing parents, while at school he’s more animated around his classmates. When writing your characters, think about how they behave in different situations. Who are they with and how do they behave around those people? How do they behave when they’re alone?

Possessions/accessories. When you observe people, take note of any unusual possessions or accessories they have with them. Do they carry a briefcase, a purse, a shopping bag or a backpack? Any one of those things can tell you something about your character. Someone with a backpack could be going to a job, school, or the library. Are they carrying books inside that backpack, the manuscript they’re working on, or sheet music? Are they staring into their mobile phones as they walk down the street? Are they listening to music on headphones? What do the headphones look like, and what kind of music do you think they’re listening to? Are they wearing any jewelry? Are they checking their wristwatch? They might be running late for a meeting. Are they walking a dog? Perhaps they’re carrying a pet carrier with a small bird or cat inside. A person’s accessories can tell a lot about a person’s career, hobbies and interests. When writing, think about what accessories your characters has and what they might say about that person.

By increasing your power of observation, you can learn a lot about a person, or at least come close to the truth. Use those refined people-watching skills to create fully-developed characters for your own stories.