It’s the middle of February, unseasonally warm up here and I find myself back at my computer after I’ve already finished my words for the day, after all my research is done and printed, waiting for tomorrow – here I am. Suddenly the story grabs me and I can’t leave it. Not tonight, not just here – I have to say these things, get the exact words echoing around my skull out before they drift off, fade into the distance. Thank goodness for the dogs. The first time this happened I was rushing, frantic to complete a submission for the MA at Teesside and I got up from my desk at 10.30pm, walked the dogs and then kept typing until 3am. They lay on the couch, muttering a bit but finally fell asleep. It was only the next morning I realised I’d forgotten to feed them. Still feel guilty….

SOTD for obsessives – Einaudi, “Nightbook”