Talking the talk, or not

This morning I'm off to BYU to talk to two of Carol Lynch Williams's classes and to have lunch with Carol.  I don't do this sort of thing often anymore, but I said yes, because 1) I'd really like to visit with Carol, 2) because I've actually been writing some memoir, and one of the classes is a memoir writing class, and 3) I can't wait to hear what I have to say to the fiction class, because I haven't written a word of fiction in several years, nor have I talked about it.

I'm worried that I will fall into one of those verbal blank periods where I can't bring up words.  This actually happens every once in awhile.  I'll be talking to someone and suddenly can't bring up words.  I become dumbstruck, speechless.  I still have body language, but I don't think that will get me far in a classroom.  I've stuffed my bag full of recent writing, so I can always read, or I can make them write and read back to me.

There is probably some neurological explanation for my word-out periods, but what good would it do to have a diagnosis?  It all comes down to "You are old and sometimes wordless--adapt."

Carol is one fine fiction writer and knows more about fiction than I ever knew.  If I become wordless, she can be the ventriloquist and I'll be her dummy.  That should work.