Karl Whitney: Are my lunchtime walks to the shop part of the writing process?

Finding the balance of being productive and obtaining inspiration can be a tricky one for a writer

Henry Miller set himself a strict set of rules in order to maintain a healthy writing schedule, which included stepping away from the desk. Picture: Getty

There’s a supermarket a few hundred metres down the road from where I live. I often head down there before lunch, just to pick up a few things and to clear my head. 

By then I might have done a bit of writing during the morning, but I’ll have something on my mind as I leave the house and, invariably, I’ll think about it as I walk.