One

by-product of the literary process . . . could also be many scratchings-out and ideas scribbled on scraps of paper beloved of archivists; these days more likely lost to the 'delete' button and then shredded never to be recovered - if any of it was worth recovering. Or edited on the screen with no trace of previous iterations of the polished product . . . . literature this ain't.

Thanks to 60 plus for today's theme.  FrankS is hosting Mono Monday for the next four Mondays.

       The Preacher (or philosopher?) says in Ecclesiastes: "The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd. My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh." 

       Or as the New Jerusalem Bible translates: "The sayings of a sage are like goads, like pegs positioned by shepherds, the same shepherd finds a use for both. Furthermore, my child, you must realise that writing books involves endless hard work, and that much study wearies the body."