Tag: Novel

Welcome to your Friday Morning FYI – my chance to share observations/wisdom/rants in short, easily consumed form.

“Are you a writer?” I was asked last Sunday, just before ordering my typical Americano. It came from one of the two guys behind the counter: the one making the coffees, not the one taking customer orders.

“Yes,” I said. “Does it show?”

The barista, who later introduced himself as Josh, smiled and shrugged. “Some people come in and open their laptops, and then type a little and talk to their friends and go on their phones and keep ordering things. And I’m like, how much are you getting done, you know? But you come in and order and then you just lock in and type and type. It’s cool.”

He wasn’t wrong. When I get in a groove, nothing around me matters and the words just cascade onto the page. In a good session, two thousand words over four or five hours is not unusual. *puts on his ‘support local businesses’ hat* That’s a two drink session, minimum, by the way (and probably a pastry, even though I’m not supposed to eat those), which often ends not because I’m out of words but because my hands are shaking from the caffeine and sugar.

Anyway, the whole exchange was fun and shed some light on something I hadn’t considered about writing in public (and anything we do, really). That’s this week’s FYI:

We all present ourselves to the world in both conscious and subconscious ways every day. The conscious is what you choose to wear, your haircut, the kind of bag you carry, etc. The subconscious, though, is far more important; the things you do naturally, like body language, work ethic, and purpose can inspire those around you. Doing your thing sends out waves others see and feel, whether we realize/intend that or not. What are you projecting? Is it how you want to be seen?

Thanks for reading,

{RDj}