I took a break at Varuna Writers Centre in the Blue Mountains recently to finish the second draft of “The Other Shore”. It’s taken me a while to realise that the pleasure in writing is the writing itself, and publication though nice cannot be the driving force for me. I also bought a book “Writing for your life” by Deena Metzger which explores writing as a form of spiritual practice and a process of inner work. Through that I’ve discovered I’m still guided by the vixen to reach my current muse Avoliketera herself. My other source of inspiration comes from John Gardiner whose book “On becoming a novelist” encapsulates the novel writing process as one of imagining a fictional world with all other factors such as plot character etc tools to achieve that world. Highly recommended.