Yesterday I just couldn’t write. The children were rattling around the house, it was hot and sticky, and I was tired and sleepy. I spent the morning at the UNESCO City of Literature launch – Dublin is the 4th City of Literature, along with Iowa, Melbourne and Edinburgh, how cool is that – and intended to come home and get my daily word count done. But it just didn’t happen.

So today I was determined to sit at my desk and write, no matter what. But with the distraction of children coming in and out every few minutes I decided I’d had enough. This morning I moved a small chest of drawers out of my bedroom and then moved my desk and chair into the space, just beside the window. Then I sat down. It didn’t feel quite right so I moved my desk again, bang in front of the window. A little bird – a starling I think, sharp beak, sparkling black eyes – settled on my window sill, making me smile.

And the other great thing about working upstairs is the internet doesn’t work up there. So I’m not tempted onto Facebook or any of my favourite blogs …