The Writing Life

"I like to be there at my desk by 9 or 9:30 either at home (in London) or there are one or two places that I rent. There are certain things I have to black out. One is not to look at the newspapers -- I'm a newspaper junkie and I like reading them in hard copy and not online -- disabling the email program so it doesn't pop with messages, because I can't overcome my curiosity, and turn off the phone. That's the only way I can do things. When it's going well I'd work until about 1 p.m., eat a sandwich, start again around 2 p.m. If I'm going well I'll continue, if not I try and set aside a chunk of the afternoon for reading, otherwise no reading ever gets done except last thing at night before falling asleep which is never really satisfactory."

- Ian McEwan on his working day