1

Writing first thing in the morning has been recommended to me as good practice for writers. God knows why. I wonder if the brain is actually better at thinking of things immediately. To tell you the truth, I haven’t really started writing this first thing. I’ve been awake for the best part of an hour now, I’ve got dressed and made my breakfast; I’m even eating it right now. People are discussing fireworks on Facebook (it’s going to rain on our picnic). It’s all, really, not how it’s supposed to be. However, I’m supposed to be a writer. I wonder if I didn’t work, whether I’d actually write more, or if I’d just piss around more? I’m churning out at a pretty decent rate at the moment. Well, depending on who you read, probably not if Terry Pratchett. And to be fair, all those great writers’ daily word counts you came across were probably aristocratic and reading what they wrote was probably impassable. I’m not exactly writing great literature. Having said that, the more I write the more I wonder if there’s not a little bit of Emperor’s New Clothes about writing. I’ve never really been into authors who are considered to be “great”. I just wanted the story, and the words to convey a feeling and a place and an experience to me as effectively as possible. It’s funny though, that different authors can be incredible at one thing and a bit rubbish at another. Robin Hobb is the best author I’ve ever read for characterisation; it’s like she’s lived many lives and knows exactly how someone would be feeling. But pacing? Sometimes I get excited that something is about to happen, which of course never does. Or something big will happen, and everyone will then continue banal everyday life as if it never did.