Embrace the Inner Geek

At some point in the semester, I tell my Creative Writing students that I'm a geek (by that time, though, they've probably already assessed that fact). And I usually also tell them that they are probably all geeks, too. No, I'm not verbally bashing my students. In fact, they all laugh and nod their heads at me when I say it. Because they know I'm right.

The world defines "geek" as someone like us - book nerd, bookworm, someone who would rather spend a Friday evening at home with a new novel than attend a loud party.

And I embrace it! I'm proud of being cerebral, contemplative, introspective. I like the fact that I smile when I crack open a new book and smell that new book smell. Or when I overhear a couple arguing softly in a corner booth and take mental notes, knowing how well it will fit into a scene I'm writing. Or spend hours researching/querying agents and then get a rush when I click open a "please send us your novel" email!

So, if you identify with any of these things, embrace the geek!! Be proud of your geek-ness. It means you're brave enough to stand out in a crowd, to move against the tide, to be an independent thinker. Today, be who you are. Be a geek!