Dear Mr Cornwell I have just finished listening to you on “Desert Island Discs” with Sue Lawley. I must say I enjoyed your choices of music along with your bitter sweet reminiscences. Interested enough to look up your website. Having done that, I found your article on advice to aspiring writers. Your advice on dissecting or as I guess the Americans would say “autopsying” another writers work is redolent of Robert Louis Stevensons “I play the sedulous ape too many.” Presumably a reference to his study of the works of and style emulation of Sir Walter Scott. I think if I were in that position I would want to “sedulously ape” your style. Cheers, from Scotland. Stephen Doyle.