Augustine Harper

“The Best Time to Plan A Book is While You’re Doing The Dishes”

– Agatha Christie

I’ve had a fascination with crime and mystery since I was little, but I credit Agatha Christie as the person responsible for my love of the mystery novel. In 8th grade I read Murder on the Orient Express for the first time, and after that I was hooked on the genre. Agatha was one of the most prolific and successful authors of all time, and a trailblazer for women in the field.

I love this quote because it highlights an important rule in writing: inspiration can come from anywhere, at any time. As a young writer I always felt I wasn’t doing enough unless I was at the table, pencil in hand, jotting something in a notebook. The thing is: inspiration is random and can come at any time- even while doing the dishes! Don’t pressure yourself to come up with ideas, let them come to you. While it is important to set aside time daily to write if you are serious about being an author, it’s equally important to remember that some days, it just doesn’t click. Sometimes ideas just don’t come. And that’s okay! Be kind with yourself, and always let your mind be open and wander- in my experience, that’s when my best ideas present themselves.