COL Crying Out Loud

Yes, I did cry in Starbucks. You don't have to give anyone a call.

Certain scenes simply have a different impact.

I was trying to finish a scene that had been subtly destroying me for days while I was at Starbucks, minding my own business. I believed I was alright. I had intended to just revise a few lines and possibly some dialogue before treating myself to a warm slice of banana bread.

I ended up crying instead, in the open. Not a warning.

And not the cute kind of crying either. I mean full eyes, throat-tight, trying-not-to-sniffle-too-loud crying.

I vaguely saw someone hovering at one point. The barista was the one. He appeared... worried.

"Ma'am," he said politely, "do you want me to give someone a call?"

I was at a loss for words.

I muttered, "No, it's fine," shook my head, and waved my hand over the laptop as if *this is the problem*. I'm merely writing.

His face was pitying as he slowly retreated.

In actuality, though, I was deeply affected by the scene. It's one of those pivotal moments when a character takes a minor action that has a huge impact. And it broke my heart when I eventually managed to capture the emotion on paper.

So, yes. That's how I sobbed into a white chocolate mocha and got a Starbucks employee to wonder if he ought to include "emotional support" in his job description.

Writing this book keeps surprising me.

Grief, hope, and the strange bravery required to allow characters to express what we're frequently too afraid to express ourselves are some of the elements that sneak in from other places, in addition to the plot twists.

In any case. I'm all right! The story is most likely still being told by the barista.

What about the scene?

It's undoubtedly one of my favorites.