Character: A New Wrinkle

Many of you are doing a great job of cataloging the nuts and bolts of your journey: the meals, the gas, the lodging, the miles, etc. Yesterday I urged you to use Google Earth to SEE the landscape you are passing through, and comment on it as well. It's not all fast food and sleeping. Today I want to add another element: You meet someone. The Joads meet many people on their journey: both folks going west like themselves and others going east. And they meet some others who are distinctly unsympathetic. I want you to imagine that you meet someone and have some kind of interaction with him or her, resulting in dialogue. Remember to see them as well as hear them, though. Remember the characterization exercise and bring some of those ideas to bear. Have fun!