Owls, larks, and elephants

I'm just back from a lovely working break, staying somewhere quiet and remote with no home distractions to get in the way of work. I think I've given one book a sense of direction, and have started work on an idea which has been under constructon for years (most things seem to be like that.) In fact, I started the new book months ago, felt it wasn't quite right, and decided that I'd started it in the wrong place, ie, come into the story at the wrong point. I've started it again and I'm still not sure if I'm approaching it in the right way, but that's writing for you. I usually get it wrong before I get it right. You'd think I'd have learnt by now.

If you are a writer, all the above will make perfect sense. If you are an aspiring writer, it may help you to know that published writers still struggle with putting a story together and have to wrestle the thing to the ground. (It doesn't help that I'm an owl, not a lark, and for me, thoughts fall into place just when sensible people are hugging their teddy bears and snoring softly.) And if you're not a writer, it may be because you read books insead of writing them, which makes you a VEERY SENSIBLE PERSON and we need more like you.

In the coming few days I have to sort out books, trains, a lion, ducks, an elephant or two, and a horse. It was going to be a stag, but it's not now. Oh, and a camel. Not all of these are fictional. Have fun!