What Coffee Drinking Says about Your Characters

A few years ago, I came across a fun little article/research piece on coffee. Now, I LOVES me a cup of hot coffee, so this sounded intriguing. And it was.

First some coffee/coffee bean facts:

Coffee drinking, that used to be commonplace and every day and ordinary and working class through the rich has become a status symbol. How many ways can you order that cup of joe?

Drinking several cups of coffee a day can reduce stress and heart attacks. 

Coffee has antioxidants that help keep you healthy. 

 

Eight of every ten Americans drank coffee in the last year, and half of those cups were gourmet coffee.

Still, current Americans are drinking less coffee than in the past. The peak of coffee drinking was in the 1960s (average number of cups drunk).

Rather than give up their morning coffee, Americans would first give up the morning news, sleep, brushing their teeth, and lunch.

One study in the article identified five coffee personalities:

Social (33%)—they prefer to drink coffee with others

Comfort lover (14%)—they like a warm cup in hand

Coffee Addict (14%)—they need coffee to jumpstart them

Task Master (11%)—they need coffee to focus

Coffee Gourmet (7%)—younger people are more inclined to like foo-foo coffee and older people go basic

Of course, as I read the article, my mind went to the psychological implications for characters in novels for each kind of coffee drinker. Some claim that coffee choices go beyond taste. So here are some of the (to me) more intriguing character profiles. Check out the entire article, “What Your Coffee Order Says about You” for more ideas.

     • Espresso: Instant gratification, a quick hit, "the most grown-up of all coffee options," cynicism, sarcasm, even an aggressive cool hunter. Disdains healthy lifestyles, is moody, and sets high standards, aiming for the leadership position with little time for gossip.

     • Black coffee: No-frills, minimalist, cool adult, prefers one-on-one contact, competitive, quiet and moody, although capable of occasional bouts of extroversion.

     • Latte: Watering down danger with milk and foam, prefers safety, wants to be liked, cutesy but conceivably stubborn inside, avoid direct confrontation and delegates the dirty work, a loyal family person, enjoys comfortable surroundings and gabbing with trusted friends. Sex is more snuggly than extreme.

     • Cappuccino: Optimistic extrovert who appreciates style and nice stuff, although not unduly acquisitive. Prefers to start things rather than see them through with all that dull detail work.

     • Instant coffee: No frills, straightforward, cheery but in no hurry to get things done, which might come across as shallow. Highs and lows come easily; not so adventurous in career or sex, but ponders both.

     • Decaf soymilk: More of an eco-worrier rather than an eco-warrior. For those who aren't allergic to cow's milk, the choice may indicate a faux fussiness with a touch of sincere narcissism.

     • Starbucks Frappuccino (and presumably other frothy whips): It's all about the foam and the froth. Trendchaser more than a trendsetter and, ouch, characterized as a flighty poseur with no sense of irony.

     • Non-coffee drinker: The authors reserve the unkindest cut of all for someone who rejects the black brew as being frightened of life and a child.

There are lots of articles out there. Here are a few if you want to read more on studies of coffee drinkers:

What Does the Coffee You Drink Say about Your Personality? 

Barista Reveals What Your Coffee Order Says about You

Coffee Quiz: What is Your Coffee Style

You can see from these descriptions that you can signal your character’s traits with mere coffee choice. Of course, unless people read the article, too, they might not pick up the subtleties, right? So flesh out that character with the traits above and end up with an intriguing, coffee drinking, son-of-a-gun!

Bloggers love it when readers share the post with others. If you would do that, I’d be most appreciative. Here are some copy/paste messages you can use.

Facebook: Writers, are you a coffee drinker? Do your novel’s characters’ drink coffee? Sharon Arthur Moore shares some data from those who have studied coffee drinking. Make your characters more interesting by highlighting their coffee habits. http://bit.ly/2wbVVRt

Twitter: #Writers, @good2tweat shares data about coffee drinkers that can shape your novel’s characters http://bit.ly/2wbVVRt