What’s with Authors’ Huddle?

Huddle is a trend--used frequently these modern days to replace the word meeting. 

But it is an ancient word. It has been a part of the English language since the late 16th century. Then, it meant "to conceal" “to curl up” “to crouch.”  

Huddle is popular today because attention span has shrunk. Meeting requires time; it is often long and draining, tackling various agenda. Huddle implies a fast-paced get-together. In a campfire, huddle means gathering in a tight, close-packed group to stay warm, share stories, or cook. 

Meeting fatigue is disliked by the young, so organizers and managers have rebranded meeting to huddle to signify a short check-in with a collaborative and energized team rhythm.

No wonder my publisher, Hiyas of OMF Litt, now calls authors’ meeting as huddle.

Along with this change is a shift in my mindset. In a huddle today, 90% of the authors are young (not yet seniors). To lessen my age (or in an effort to belong), I cater to their attention span by speaking briefly. 

So when the facilitator asked each of us to introduce ourselves by 1) name, 2) book we had read in high school, 3) books we have written, I spoke for only 45 seconds, the length of a radio/TV ad. 

After saying my name, I said, “High school is no longer in my hard drive. There is no record of what I had read then. And I have been reading and writing for 25 years so I can’t play favorites and name some books I have read and written.”

They laughed. Ironically, the younger ones took longer to introduce themselves.

It was a huddle alright. Abbreviated chats. Packed lunch. Abridged Q&A. Warm hugs. Plus, what never happened in the early days of my writing: selfies. 

Time has turned the page, but grace keeps the ink. 

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139:16 (NLT)