What drives you?

‘What drives you?’ ‘I’ve only just woken up!’ I say to the book. ‘Don’t care. It’s morning. Work to be … More

Needing to be liked

‘You know what your main problem is,’ the book says. ‘Needing to be liked.’ ‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it?’ … More

The more I talk about writing with students, teachers, colleagues and other writers, the less I am sure that we … More

We need to re-think marketing as a story that either does or does not resonate with us. Do … More

‘Aren’t you going get the phone?’ I say. ‘It won’t be for me.’ With a little groan the book … More

‘What do you think?’ I say to the book. It has held on to my poem for a week, and … More

Even though it is sweltering, the book is wearing its dinner jacket. Its legs are stretched out, feet on my … More

The adventures of the book have now clocked up fifty blog posts. Here is a list of all of them, … More

The book is in its gardening clothes. ‘I’m going out,’ it says. ‘You’ve let the lawn go again.’ ‘You can’t … More

‘I don’t know if I can do this any more.’ ‘Do what?’ the book says. ‘This.’ ‘Sit around waiting for … More

‘Listening to the cricket again?’ says the book. ‘I think I’ll join you.’ ‘What do you mean, ‘again’?’ I say. … More

‘That thing you mentioned the other day,’ the book says. ‘Is it true?’ ‘What thing?’ I say. ‘About there being … More

‘How have you been?’ says the book. ‘Fine,’ I say. ‘You?’ ‘Tired,’ says the book. ‘I’m tired.’ ‘Me too,’ I … More

Jack Palance: Do you know what the secret of life is? Billy Crystal: No, what? Jack Palance: This [he … More

I think I am probably in love with silence, that other world. And that I write, in some way, to … More

This isn’t about numbers, but my relationship with them. It isn’t about giving you a figure. (By the time you … More

I had begun the poem after work one day, on a pad of work-related notes. Get in, get out, I … More

When the Arvon student is put in posession of that creative self, which was hitherto inaccessible, two things, in particular, … More