Another long day. I woke at 5. Couldn't sleep, so I turned on the laptop and worked instead. Reminded me of the old days when I was on my own, working at the strangest hours and sleeping in the afternoon to catch up.

Couldn't do that today. Long walk this morning - part of the diet! And then, this afternoon, I attended a writers' workshop led by one Chris Walters - all about starting and ending short stories. Wonderful advice, so long as you are not suffering from the dreaded writer's block.

A Clean Page

The writer’s block
Always starts
With a clean white empty page

And while sharpened pencils
Stare at the space to fill
His rage

Starts to build and, as it grows
Wild thoughts fly
Around the room

He grasps at straws
He can’t hold
And is faced with certain doom

Knowing that nothing worthy
Will escape
From his numbed brain

He closes down for today
Tomorrow
He’ll try again