Being a writer can mean many, many different things. Sometimes, it means hours spent alone, dragging reluctant words from the depths of a troubled mind, forcing ink onto the blank page, one uncooperative phrase after another. Other times, it means acting as ringmaster to a cacophony of uncontrollable characters who fly across the pages with minds of their own, wilfully disregarding your own intentions for them. On occasion it seems almost impossible to stem the flow of pulsing purple prose from your fingertips as hours race by unnoticed, strings of sentences clicking into perfect place like links of literary gold chains.
Other times a writer’s lot will be that of a researcher, chasing down facts to support the inspiration, carefully noting the things that will never make it to the page but must be understood, nonetheless. Writers are the mothers of their works, yet must also be the butchers of the same – and be brave enough to wield the editor’s sabre, even to the most loved of their compositions.
There are times when to be a writer means to be one swathed in rejection and broken dreams, yet still find it within them to take up the pen once more, in spite of the negative tides that cast them time and time again against the rocky shores of disappointment.
But sometimes – on a damp and drizzly Monday in Cambridge, say – being a writer means sitting around in your pants, nursing the remnants of a head cold and watching re-runs of The Sweeney. Because life’s funny like that.
* Top quality line from the endlessly quotable Jack Regan, from The Sweeney
Lucy Brazier 
Goodness! I’m going to watch re-runs of Taggart and see if it inspires me to write the Great Scottish Novel! I shall of course be wearing tartan pants – one must pay attention to these little details…
Haha! I loved Taggart. To this day, I can’t hear or read the word ‘murder’ without thinking of it in that gorgeous thick Scottish accent. Also, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t say ‘There’s been a murder’ in his voice! Tartan pants are the very best. I write all my best stuff in tartan pants 😉
I once went to a party in Mark McManus’ house. I didn’t have a TV in those days – I was going through a phase – so had never seen Taggart and didn’t know who he was. He was exceedingly peeved that I didn’t seem to be in awe of his immense stardom… 😉
Oh that’s a bit disappointing. I was rather hoping he would have been quite humble. Mind you, I always get enormously peeved when people aren’t in awe of my immense stardom… 😀
For me, it was the flu and sitting around watching Midsomer Murders!
Midsomer is brilliant for binge watching when feeling under par! Something so cosy about it, despite all the death and whatnot.