As I write this I'm sitting

4/20/08 -- As I write this I'm sitting at Gate E2 in the Portland, Oregon airport waiting for my flight to Pennsylvania. I'll be spending a week there in schools, speaking to kids about the writing process. Really looking forward to the experience!

In the meantime, it's a day of travel, and a good opportunity to people watch. Sure, I'll read on the plane, and also just let my mind wander. But I've always contended that a big part of writing is being observant, paying attention to the details of life around you. Today is already offering up a  rich variety of humanity, snippets of conversation, little mannerisms or clothing details that could be used in a story to help bring it to life. I've got my notebook handy, and my little chopped off pen primed for note taking.