Thank you for the great advice, Daphne.

🙂

It’s hard not to feel self-conscious about a second language, and WRITING in that language is usually particularly challenging. I suggest you use a service like Grammarly or ProWriting Aid (the free versions are perfectly adequate for your purposes) to review your work before you hand it in. Also, you might try to make an arrangement with an English-speaking friend to check your work as well. If you do this for a few months, you should be able to build up your confidence so that you feel more comfortable with your written English.

My sense is that editors seem more able to carve their own path. Also, for most people, editing isn’t as frightening as writing. I think that fact explains the difference!

You have alerted us from being a weird bunch.

Hmm, not sure that Victor Hugo’s strange habit made me think of the Buddhist koan. Both those thoughts came into my mind quite independently! But the strange habits of famous authors are quite interesting. Alexander Dumas colour-coded his writing; Balzac drank 50 cups of coffee a day; Truman Capote never started or finished a piece of work on a Friday; Dan Brown hangs upside down. Let’s face it: we’re a pretty weird bunch!

Better Than Nothing. I love it!!

You make a good point about variation in numbers, Tom. I would have assumed that Hemingway’s (and others’) numbers varied but I’d never thought about the degree to which that would be true. This is a good reminder of ANOTHER reason why one shouldn’t be a slave to what we believe to be the habits of others.

Yes I was aware of Hemingway’s habit of writing with a pencil and writing while standing. In fact, I often think of that because I write while standing (and walking!) on my treadmill.