Indeed, at times it's best to shut up.

My wife and daughter have accused me of being too silent at breakfast but I don't want to talk when I don't have much to say.

Most good essays are conversations with yourself - not just your decided thoughts but your dilemmas.

Have fun writing, because it enhances both the writer's and reader's experience.

I'm fortunate in being able to find great satisfaction in my work.

The prospect of a long day at the beach makes me panic. There is no harder work I can think of than taking myself off to somewhere pleasant, where I am forced to stay for hours and 'have fun'.

You must read a lot of personal essays - you needn't reinvent the wheel.