Writing a novel and running a marathon. These two feats have nothing in common, right? Wrong. At different times of life I have looked at both of these as aspirational goals. I didn’t get too close to achieving one of them, but in the process of completing the other, I developed an understanding of their similarities. Both of these tests of human endeavour and stamina require training, planning and discipline. There are times when all of this is easy; when inspiration first strikes, it is easy to start those training sessions on the road, or to start planning out your plot and characters. As time passes, getting out of bed…