I still struggle with the whole cutting the clever bits thing, so I do know how hard that can be. I guess, as with most things in life, the trick is to find a balance. Be clever but be clear too. I think I’ll probably struggle with that one for years to come.

Anyway, thanks again for your nice comment. It gave me a good feeling that at least one person got something worthwhile out of the article.

Notification of a new article on writing popped up in my inbox in the midst of my writing a similar piece. How amazing is that? I switched to blog-mode and posted a link to this page.

The interesting thing is that just moments before I had emailed the next article for my weekly column. It was a difficult piece of work only because I had to use your third point. Naturally the process is not new, I use it all the time. Today I really felt that the work was “good, clever, well done” but knew that I had to distance myself from the attachment I felt to my words, especially the part where I shared a bit about myself. I hit the send button with a measure of sadness and began writing an article about the experience.

The arrival of the notice was so timely. It came as a nod of assurance that I did the right thing. The right thing for my article, the right thing for my readers, the right thing for my writing career.

I have no doubt that it will inspire both aspiring and accomplished writers.

Thank you Dylan. Great piece.