Not-So-Super Spy

So I've definitely been slacking on the writing, blog or no blog. I just haven't felt very inspired, and those evil self-doubt demons always seem to track me down. Even now, surrounded by inspiration at Barnes & Noble, I'm finding it difficult to focus. It might be that I can't take my eyes off the man reading a magazine in front of me... the reverse-moobs sagging from his shoulder blades are mesemerizing... So maybe getting out of the house is not necessarily the quick fix I need?

Maybe I would benefit from a little caffeine. Aren't all writers chain smoking caffeine guzzlers? The problem with coffee is it makes me chattier, thus more social, thus more likely to pick up my phone and call someone (anyone who is willing to entertain me for as long as possible.)

Perhaps what I need is to develop a persona. Last week I was sitting at Starbucks, going through the same internal battle trying to get some work done, when a woman approached me to share my electrical outlet (isn't it amazing what brings people together these days?). She was a posh South Asian woman with a smooth British accent. "I do hope you don't mind my using this outlet," she purred. "So sorry to be a bother." *Polite tinkling laughter.* She was so British, she may as well have been offering me tea and crumpets.

She sat down, began typing away on her laptop, answered the phone and spoke to several other Starbucks customers in that delightful lilt. I was wondering what such a sophisticated European woman was doing in the Atlanta suburbs, when her friend walked in and sat down next to her... and she went all Jersey on me. It took me a few minutes of eavesdropping to finally confirm that, indeed, she had switched from Princess Di to Real Housewives in an instant.

The theories are: she must be an actress, practicing her trade / she must be a spy. I say, if she is indeed a spy, she's not a very discreet one.

To get back to my point, maybe I need to be in a role to convince myself to write. Something appropriately bookish, no?

Mmm, I'm thinking less Arnold, more argyle sweater, newsboy hat, curled moustache.

Alright, costumes aside, I seriously think I need to be in a certain mode to sit down and focus. So from now on, my persona-slash-pen name shall be... Esmeralda Von Grunewald. Maybe.