Professionals in Our Lives

Without the professionals that we come in contact with on a daily basis, our lives would be vastly different. We need our doctors, pharmacists, wait staff, car repairmen and mail deliverers. Plumbers fix our leaks, gardeners trim our lawns, clerks tend to our needs.
How we react to these professionals says a lot about us. A haughty person might be disdainful and rude, while a humble person might show gratitude. When a service is offered, some of us say please and thank you, while others don’t recognize the presence of the server.

In our working life, we were professionals as well. Think about how it felt to be treated with disrespect. How hurt you felt. How you stewed about the words said for days or even weeks. Think about what you wanted to do in response as opposed to how you really acted.
The characters in our stories also run into professionals. What they say and do tells us quite a lot about them. Think about a villain who cuddles a tiny dog. While the villain may be cold-hearted toward his victims, he shows tenderness toward animals. He takes his dog to the vet on a regular basis and keeps the dog current on all shots.

Think about a cat lover who feeds seven strays that roam the neighborhood. That individual obviously cares about the cats, working hard to keep them from starving. On the other hand, she is creating a nuisance situation for the rest of the neighbors. The strays may be aggressive toward other pets, may move into garages and leave behind a mess, or may carry fleas and other diseases. The cat lover can’t afford to provide medical care for all the strays and so begs for financial assistance from agencies that help the needy with their pets.

Your task is to have your character interact with at least one professional. Maybe she eats in a restaurant or has a maintenance man come and repair an electrical problem in the house. Maybe he sees a dermatologist who removes pre-cancerous spots or goes to a gym and works with a trainer.

You decide what type of interaction there will be and put things into motion. Remain true to your character’s personality when there is dialogue. Consider how the setting affects what happens. Your scene needs to be a complete unit.
Good luck!

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