Rachelle Delaney

Like many writers, I spend a lot of time working in coffeeshops. And lately, I’ve found that I’ve become almost obsessive about choosing a cafe. There are so many factors to consider – good coffee, good music, the right lighting, comfy (but not too comfy) chairs, wifi so I can check Twitter as I work etc. I admit, I spend far too much time weighing the options when I really should be working.

The thing is, I hate becoming a “regular”. I hate stepping into a place and having the person on cash ring in my Americano-for-here before I’ve even ordered it. I’m not sure why I hate this – maybe because I worry the baristas are judging me, adjusting their whip cream-spattered smocks and thinking, “Why doesn’t that girl get a real job?” As a result, I try not to visit the same cafe twice in one week.

Weird. I know.

But here’s something I’ve noticed about other cafe patrons, which I think is doubly weird. And it happens all the time. I’ll be hunched over my laptop, putting the finishing touches on a chapter or a Twitter post, and someone will sit down nearby and ask me what I’m writing.

Now, I personally would not do this. If someone was working, all concentrated-like, I would not interrupt them unless, say, their laptop cord had caught fire. But many people seem to think this is okay, asking not only, “What are you writing?” and “Is that what you do for a living?” but then going on, INEVITABLY, to tell me about this REALLY GREAT IDEA they have for a novel, and how I just HAVE to write it.

For instance. Once, in a Starbucks in Edmonton, I had a young man tell me the plot for what he believed was the greatest novel idea of all time. It went something like: “So there’s this guy. And he’s out hiking. And he falls into a hole. And he keeps falling… and falling… and falling… And he falls for, like, years…”

One excellent way to cut down on these awkward encounters is to work in a place where EVERYONE is working, like a cafe on a university campus. In a place like this, the person with the novel idea has many more people hunched over their laptops to choose from.

On that note, here’s a list of my top picks for Vancouver coffeeshops to write in. Happy Friday!

• The Wicked Cafe, 7th and Hemlock. Excellent Intelligensia coffee, wifi, and good tunes. Sometimes I even go here twice a week.
• The Buzz Cafe, Smithe and Hamilton. 49th Parallel coffee and wifi, tucked into a lovely little brick art gallery.
• Oz Coffee, Broadway and Trutch. Some friendly Aussies run this one. Wifi, excellent tunes, and a cozy fireplace.
• Michi, Robson at Jervis. Skilled baristas, 49th Parallel coffee, and wifi. And waffles.