Introducing a series where I delve into lessons gleaned from reading books from a writer's perspective, analysing some common patterns and breaking down the takeaways. First up: repetition. If you've ever wanted to throw a book across the room because you saw the word "soft" for the 182th time, this one's for you.
There comes a time in every writer's life when they arrive at the dreaded Wall - the block, the border, the obstacle that cannot be bested. But what if I told you the Wall could be blasted away by the simplest tools available?
Stories, like anything else in life, move to invisible rhythms and are born at a pace best suited to them. In our determination for achievement and love of deadlines, the blank page too often becomes something we try to subject to our will. But the blank page does not need to be seen as foe to be conquered; rather as a friend to be invited inside.
We adore its presence and dread its absence. We treat it like a mystical muse, or a slavish tool to master. In either case, it remains ever elusive, ever undefinable and near-impossible to permanently hold: Motivation.
The Foxglove Scribe 