Balance is crucial when it comes to writing. There’s that whole delicate balance between staying true to the story you set out to tell and bearing in mind that you want other people to read and enjoy it.

But just as important is the whole life/work balance of a writer.

I have to admit that, in a sense, I find this site surprisingly daunting - one big reminder that there are way more awesome books out there than there is time to read them. I mean, there are major classics that I haven’t read. Books that would make you go: “You haven’t what?! Read it, read it NOW!” And then there are the classics in the making, all the wonderful and as-yet-to-be-discovered offerings lurking just around the corner. And then there are those little gems, never destined for the bestseller lists, but that just let you get lost for a couple of hours ...

Recently, I haven’t made enough time for that.

Sometimes, I feel guilty about sitting back to read – feeling like I should be writing, being more productive. And that’s on top of working a “proper” full-time job and making a wee bit of time for family and friends.

But I’m starting to realise just why it’s so true that if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.

It’s not to dip into the works of others for inspiration, trying to re-hash stories that have already been told. It’s about making time to remember how it feels when you find that perfect book that sucks you in – and wanting to give someone else that same experience. It’s not about recreating the ideas of others – just the same feelings they evoke.

Time to lose the guilt and get lost in someone else’s world.