writing: everything in its right place
The work room needs to be ready.
Preparation is everything. Most bad days happen because I turn up and have to clean up. Good days, I’m organised the night before. Tools are assembled, my desk is a clean sheet: no excuses. I sit closer to the left-hand corner and work my way across. A cluttered desk by the end of the day is a good sign.
I edit onscreen as I go, but when the time comes, I always work on the page. It all reads differently on paper. My favourite technology is still the book. Pen and pencil. Writing in the margins.
Mostly, I feel like a tradesman. Even a modest pool of words supplies a wealth of possibility – the endless combinations of sentences.