April 2

Esther Freud was born to Lucian Freud and Bernardine Coverley on May 2nd 1963. She is a writer whose novels include Hideous Kinky, Peerless Flats and Gaglow. Her first novel Hideous Kinky was made into a film starring Kate Winslet in 1998. Her latest book is called The Wild (published in the year 2000). She lives in London with her family. Her first child was born on this day.

Don't waste the best hours of the day -

a tip from Esther Freud

Don't waste the best hours of the day doing the washing up. Every one has a time when they feel most driven and creative, work out when this is and use it to do what you most want. The other things will get done somehow, or if you leave them long enough someone else might even do them.

Esther Freud adds: For years I didn't seem to have the self-discipline to write, and waiting for inspiration to strike wasn't working. Eventually it occurred to me that I always felt at my best first thing in the morning, so I made a decision that I would work between breakfast and lunch and at no other time. Instead of sweeping the floor, putting the washing in and taking out the rubbish, I went straight to my desk. So now my house is much less tidy, but I have written four novels and I've stopped wondering how people have the discipline to sit down and write.

© This tip appears here as an advertisement for the 400-page charity fundraising anthology Seize the Day (£12.00, published by Chatto & Windus, Random House UK Ltd) edited by Nicholas Albery and Stephanie Wienrich. This tip is protected by copyright and appeared in the book with kind permission of the author and may not be reprinted without the permission of the publishers. For the full acknowledgement credits see this book. It is available for advance mail order by credit card for £13.99 including UK postage and packing (slight extra elsewhere). It makes a wonderful and much appreciated present.