It’s the best time of the morning. Midway between
breakfast and lunch is the hallowed moment when fresh tea is brewed and some
form of sustenance is consumed. It’s been in sync with our biological rhythm
for ages. It goes by many names. My favourite figures in the Paddington Bear
stories by Michael Bond:
Elevenses.
Every day, Paddington visits the old guy down the road
for hot chocolate and a sticky bun. In my world, it’s tea and a muffin or a
slice of Ter’s killer ginger/pumpkin/date loaf. At work I often have company
for it, but on days off, it’s just me and my tea tumbler. It’s also proof that
working straight through can be detrimental to the project; as a writer, I have
found that getting away from the computer for a few minutes often unravels the
knots in a scene. Stalled dialogue almost always gets traction the instant I
leave, as if the characters are waiting for me to go away so they can continue
without my interference.
I could “do coffee” for a living. I spent a lot of
time hanging out in cafés with artists, poets and musicians during a previous
life, and the love of socializing over hot milky drinks and pastries has
remained with me. My workweek is populated by pals with whom I take such
breaks, usually in the afternoon as I tend to pound through the morning without
pause. Elevenses seems specifically reserved for downtime or a writing day.
Which reminds me … it’s time for a break.
