08/08/23 12:55

I figured I’d take my lunch break to catch up with the writing.  I’ve been involved with technology a fair bit these last few weeks so it’s nice to come back to where it all began; manual tools and brain utilisation at a basic level.  I’ve been hard at it getting the Coffee Pot Conversations podcast episodes not only up to scratch but also recorded.  The chatty interviewing ones have been good – one with Nev, two with Rory – and the solo flights have simply been me researching, falling down rabbit holes and then managing to bring everything back to Paris in one way or another.  I think I knew it wouldn’t be straightforward but now that I’m almost in the flow, the more I do, the better I’ll become, making the process a whole heap quicker. But I still need to get guests.  I’ve managed to create a post (although I actually want to edit it a little bit more) so at some point when Nev’s back, I’ll ask her what she thinks.  I’m just a tad worried about the whole “talking to girls” thing.  I don’t believe it will be an issue, but it can’t be easy.  I know I wouldn’t be best pleased about it.  Yet, the majority of specialists in the fields I’m interested in are seemingly female.  Anyway, that’s a bridge to cross later on.  It could all be done from a distance, remotely, which it probably will be.  However, the conversation aspect could be troublesome to a jealous mind.  Again, this is my own thoughts on the matter, knowing what kind of person I am with my own feelings and emotions.

Okay, switching direction, I now have some new business cards, smart business cards and a pencil case, as well as a badge (from Mr Ts Shirts) all with my new QR code on them. This leads to my start page, via Buffer, which seems like a nice place to start.  It has the blog, Instagram, podcast, Spotify playlist and eventually Patreon.  And with this pencil case, or pen tin as it writefully is (see what I did there?) are little plastic boxes holding my Herbin ink cartridges whilst my fountain pens lay beside them.  I have the same setup in my other, original, pen tin.  This should help create a nice colour festival and maintain the fountain pens more than what I’d been doing previously with the bottled inks.  This is the plan.  Eight colours and eight pens, split over two tins sees me with a nice random element.  The only thing I need to be careful of is running out of notebooks.  I’ll be ordering some more soon.  I just need to work out what I’m doing with the one that I’ve started the story in… It looks like I have 9 more pages in this one, An Englishman in Paris – Désolé, Je Suis Anglais, the final book of the original tricolor trilogy.  I expect to be a little into the next notebook by the time I go back to Paris; it’s just whether it’s a blue or white book that’s playing on my mind.  And I may have two guests lined up for actual Paris coffee pot conversations.  With it being an overnight stay, I want to be able to interview regular people in Paris but that’s something that I’ll be struggling with.  How does one go up to a stranger and ask to interview them?  I could stand out in the street and try it – but I’d rather approach people whilst they’re relaxed.  Do I need permission from the cafés?  I could possibly stand outside, offer to buy them a coffee and take it from there?  I know I’d be needing the toilet and a notepad for the names (do I take their photo in exchange for my business card?)  So much to worry about that I reckon I’ll simply sit by myself and write in one of the notebooks, changing ink with each passing hour.  Maybe I need to email some more people whilst I’m still in England and get some more interviews done before I go.  Or practice approaching strangers in my local coffee shops!!