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Tuesday 30 June 2015

Riddles

Alive without breath, 
As cold as death; 
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail, never clinking.

The Hobbit

Writing is like solving a riddle. There is a puzzle and the writer has to find all the pieces. 

Fishing for the internal logic that brings the different parts together as a coherent whole, requires patience and ruthlessness. There is no room for a kiss and release approach. You need to be prepared to snag and bag the ideas wherever and whenever you find them.  

Like riddles, the act of writing is sometimes ridiculous, frustrating, challenging, hilarious and nonsensical. But if you can work it out, the satisfaction whumps you like a punchline.

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