40,724 and counting
As I get closer to the finish line of this novel-writing experience, I've begun to give myself some psychological pats on the back. One of which is the crafting of a virtual acknowledgements page.
Normally one would expect all the thanks to friends and family members, along with people who had provided encouragement, funding, or fact-checking for the book, but in this case, both because they've served as a friendly writing environment who someone who preferred not to be cooped up at home and also because their sheer ubiquitousness has made them a prominent setting for several of the chapters of the book, not to mention the source of some of its humor, I think I'd first have to tilt my hat to the literally hundreds, if not thousands, of downtown Vancouver coffee shops.
To give you an idea, here's a list, probably far from complete, of the various places which have hosted either my current novel effort or other recent writing sessions, almost all of them within about three blocks away. People can say a lot of things, but nobody can say Vancouver doesn't have enough coffee.
Blenz — 999 Granville St, at Nelson, a prominent location in my book
Starbucks — 980 Seymour St, near Nelson, the nearest coffee shop to me, but it closes earlier
Starbucks — 900 Granville St, at Smithe, the second nearest coffee shop to me
Cafe Crepe — 874 Granville St, at Smithe, for those days when a coffee alone isn't enough
Blenz — 605 Robson St, at Seymour, also closes early
Starbucks — 1095 Howe St, at Nelson, sort of in a lonely spot at night
Starbucks — 701 Granville St, in Sears
Starbucks — 720 Granville St, at Georgia, immediately across the street from the one at Sears
Starbucks — 788 Robson St, at Howe, next door to Chapters, in which there is another Starbucks
Starbucks — 398 Robson St, at Homer, across the street from the library
Starbucks — 811 Hornby St, at Smithe, next to the new Paramount building
Starbucks — 900 Burrard St, at Smithe, in the new Paramount building
Blenz — 609 Granville St, at Dunsmuir, across from the Granville St SkyTrain station
Blenz — 345 Robson St, in the library
Blenz — 338 Helmcken St, at Homer, the very yuppie but nice Yaletowny one
Caffe Artigiano — 763 Hornby, at Robson, when I can't stand another Starbucks
Blenz — 700 Davie St, at Granville, a good place for inspiration by crazies
Blenz — 922 Robson St, near Hornby
Coffee a Go Go, 829 Davie, at Howe, with free wireless internet
Starbucks — 1088 Burrard St, at Helmcken
Blenz — 1100 Burrard St, at Davie, a nice new one with free wireless internet
Starbucks — 1099 Robson St, at Thurlow, in shopping central
Starbucks — 1100 Robson St, also at Thurlow (yes their addresses are only one number away)
This doesn't even count the ten or so more in the neighborhood which close before I get off work.
Now I feel like a caffeine addict again. . . . Sigh.
Normally one would expect all the thanks to friends and family members, along with people who had provided encouragement, funding, or fact-checking for the book, but in this case, both because they've served as a friendly writing environment who someone who preferred not to be cooped up at home and also because their sheer ubiquitousness has made them a prominent setting for several of the chapters of the book, not to mention the source of some of its humor, I think I'd first have to tilt my hat to the literally hundreds, if not thousands, of downtown Vancouver coffee shops.
To give you an idea, here's a list, probably far from complete, of the various places which have hosted either my current novel effort or other recent writing sessions, almost all of them within about three blocks away. People can say a lot of things, but nobody can say Vancouver doesn't have enough coffee.
Blenz — 999 Granville St, at Nelson, a prominent location in my book
Starbucks — 980 Seymour St, near Nelson, the nearest coffee shop to me, but it closes earlier
Starbucks — 900 Granville St, at Smithe, the second nearest coffee shop to me
Cafe Crepe — 874 Granville St, at Smithe, for those days when a coffee alone isn't enough
Blenz — 605 Robson St, at Seymour, also closes early
Starbucks — 1095 Howe St, at Nelson, sort of in a lonely spot at night
Starbucks — 701 Granville St, in Sears
Starbucks — 720 Granville St, at Georgia, immediately across the street from the one at Sears
Starbucks — 788 Robson St, at Howe, next door to Chapters, in which there is another Starbucks
Starbucks — 398 Robson St, at Homer, across the street from the library
Starbucks — 811 Hornby St, at Smithe, next to the new Paramount building
Starbucks — 900 Burrard St, at Smithe, in the new Paramount building
Blenz — 609 Granville St, at Dunsmuir, across from the Granville St SkyTrain station
Blenz — 345 Robson St, in the library
Blenz — 338 Helmcken St, at Homer, the very yuppie but nice Yaletowny one
Caffe Artigiano — 763 Hornby, at Robson, when I can't stand another Starbucks
Blenz — 700 Davie St, at Granville, a good place for inspiration by crazies
Blenz — 922 Robson St, near Hornby
Coffee a Go Go, 829 Davie, at Howe, with free wireless internet
Starbucks — 1088 Burrard St, at Helmcken
Blenz — 1100 Burrard St, at Davie, a nice new one with free wireless internet
Starbucks — 1099 Robson St, at Thurlow, in shopping central
Starbucks — 1100 Robson St, also at Thurlow (yes their addresses are only one number away)
This doesn't even count the ten or so more in the neighborhood which close before I get off work.
Now I feel like a caffeine addict again. . . . Sigh.