From The Wall Street Journal:
In Denmark, my dream had always been to work in television. My father was a famous print journalist, and I was a journalist as well. TV seemed more exciting, and in 2001, I got my wish and began working for a TV production company.
To ease the stress of my new job, I’d escape momentarily by telling myself a suspenseful story. In 2003, one of these mental stories became more elaborate, so I wrote it all down. I used the story as the basis for a manuscript and sent it out to Danish publishers.
My first book was published in 2004. That summer, while I was still working in TV and had just published my second book, I went for a walk in the forest near my home north of Copenhagen. I had my digital audio player with me and listened to Paul Simon’s “Hurricane Eye,” from his 2000 album “You’re the One.”
. . . .
During the song, I heard Simon sing lyrics that caught me off-guard: “You want to be a writer / but you don’t know how or when / Find a quiet place / use a humble pen.”
Link to the rest at The Wall Street Journal
link doesnt work, pg. Unfortunately its behind a pay wall
All of the WSJ articles go behind a paywall shortly after publication. But it’s not usually on the same day!