“I think the most exciting part of writing is that moment when something falls into place and sounds pure and true—when you manage to convey something that resonates perfectly with you. It could be something as small as an image, or a beat that completes a rhythm. Being able to render something that wasn’t text or language in words, and represent it faithfully, is so satisfying. The process of writing is a bit different to other creative processes in this way, at least for me. If I’m drawing something, or sewing something, or even baking a loaf of bread, I want the object or piece of art to be whole and functional when it’s finished. The act of making these things is pleasurable too, of course. But a piece of writing is made up of so many smaller parts. A text can be all wrong and still have one small part, one line or one phrase, that’s whole and perfect. This resonance is so personal, too—you can never inhabit someone else’s mind, so these little glimpses of reality and experience are really just for you. And if other people find that they ring true too, that’s great, but if they don’t, at least you have that moment of satisfaction and identification for yourself.”