Writing seems to be an unrelenting learning process. There is no respite, only incremental progress through a minefield of syntax traps and self-dug holes. Hemingway said ‘...writing is something that you can never do as well as it can be done’ and that guy won a Pulitzer and a Nobel prize for literature, so what chance do we have?

What is clear is that in order to learn about writing you must do it - and do it everyday. That takes a lot of self-discipline. There are a million reasons why you can’t write today. There are other demands on your time, higher priorities and tempting diversions that you have to find ways of fending off, postponing or ignoring. Then, when you do finally get to the keyboard, there’s ‘research’. I’m a big fan of technology and the Internet and I’m excited by the information resources that are available almost instantly, frequently for free, but I have always been intensely curious and while curiosity may have killed the cat, it is definitely killing my time.

When does research turn into procrastination? What if that next link will open up a train of thought that will lead to a new story twist, inspire a great idea or maybe just incite a funny line? How can I know if that random piece of information I’ve just tripped over will be useful to me today, in five years time or never?

Two steps forward, two steps back. Am I dancing or orbiting?