'Buying books to sell at readings, buying more to send out as extra review copies; attending unlikely events in the unlikely hope that someone might be looking for poetry.'

Buying books to sell at readings; buying more to send out as extra review copies; attending unlikely events in the unlikely hope that someone at the library / town hall / village fete might be looking for poetry.

The post John Greening appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'With climbing, as with writing, the serious lows come with serious highs. Early the next morning we gained a ridge and stood above a blanket of cloud.'

With climbing, as with writing, the serious lows come with serious highs. Early the next morning we gained a ridge and stood above a blanket of cloud; on one side, the sun, on the other the moon.

The post Elanor Dymott appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'It was when this long apprenticeship began to expose me to things that felt compelling that I truly began to write.'

It was when this long apprenticeship began to expose me to things that felt compelling, and when I needed a means to explore some powerful, slow-burning questions, that I truly began to write.

The post Caroline Brothers appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'One memorable piece of advice came from a dream in which I found myself in a forest at night, watching the devil and an angel compete over who could climb highest up a huge tree...'

One memorable piece of advice came from a dream in which I found myself in a forest at night, watching the Devil and an Angel compete over who could climb highest up the twin boughs of a huge tree...

The post Nicola Baldwin appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'I'd be focussed when I wrote. I'd stop being self conscious. I wrote to make myself present and at the same time, to disappear.'

I'd be focussed when I wrote. I'd stop being self conscious. I wrote to make myself present and at the same time, to disappear; and those are the reasons I write now.

The post Amanda Dalton appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Remember to keep a notebook at all times. It's your impressions I'm after; like the bicycle clips worn by one of your fellow passengers on the Hoi Wong.'

Remember to keep a notebook at all times. It's your impressions I'm after; like the bicycle clips worn by one of your fellow passengers on the Hoi Wong to stop cockroaches climbing up his trouser legs.

The post Jennifer Potter appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'A fellow writer pointed out, when we discovered our shared enthusiasm for Enid Blyton's masterpiece, The Magic Faraway Tree was our first introduction to jeopardy.'

As a fellow writer pointed out, when we discovered our shared enthusiasm for Enid Blyton's masterpiece, The Magic Faraway Tree was also our first introduction to jeopardy.

The post Fraser Grace appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'The longstanding members have been reading a book a month together for nearly twenty years, and are responsible for choosing some of my favourite recent literature. '

The longstanding members have been reading a book a month together for nearly twenty years, and are responsible for choosing some of my favourite recent literature. None of which I would have chosen for myself.

The post Sophia Bennett appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Jean Rhys taught me about writing; the process, the agony, the joy of getting it right. '

Jean Rhys taught me about writing; the process, the agony, the joy of getting it right. Perhaps she taught me about the grand Art versus Life dichotomy.

The post Tiffany Murray appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.

'Part channelling, waiting for the characters show me the story, and part treasure hunt, wondering where we'll end up.'

Part channelling, waiting for the characters show me the story, and part treasure hunt, wondering where we'll end up; it's as if the novel is a house, but the house has scores of doors and I don't know which is the right one.

The post Dyan Sheldon appeared first on The Royal Literary Fund.