This is my first post in here! First of all I'd like to wish SK a happy 70th birthday for September (I'll hit 70 in April). Next up, I'm at page 165 of On Reading and I don't think I've ever read anything about the writing process which is so much fun. I've recently submitted my MA Dissertation (what you guys in America would call your 'thesis') and am now attempting to write a novel about my study subject (Merlin in Twelfth and Twentieth Century Narratives). I'm only just starting out but already I've gone back and removed all those things such as adverbs and the passive tense that SK doesn't like. I now don't like them either! Result! I'm not too certain how far I'll get with my novel (being nearly 70) but already it's feeling better and so much more readable - and fun to write! Thank you.