Editorial

One of the great pleasures of being a Journal Editor is watching, and being part of, the journey an author goes on as they write and publish a paper. Often, you are only there for the last part – submission and publication – but occasionally, as is the case for me with a number of the papers in this issue, you are afforded glimpses along the way, which makes the enjoyment of the final stages all the greater. There is no doubt that the papers we publish take a great deal of work, often over long periods of time, and that as well as bringing pleasure, the writing process can be full of doubt, frustration, and requires a great deal of patience. However, in an age where quality journalism is on the decline, and ‘click bait’ online articles and fake news proliferate, the serious amount of time and thought that goes into professional writing is something to be valued, and, I believe, protected. Something I took from my predecessor Alexandra de Rementeria in this respect, and which parallels clinical work, is that it is often better to slow down and allow yourself to feel stuck, as what can emerge from this will be worth the pain it has cost you.

As we at the Journal and the ACP think about how to support members to write about their work, I have cause to reflect on the writing process. Why do clinicians feel motivated to write for publication? What helps this process, and what gets in the way? How do we, as a profession, foster a ‘facilitating environment’ for writers, thus ensuring we remain connected to each other, our history, and look to the future? I am interested to hear from any of our readers who have ideas about how the Journal and the ACP can support members in this respect. Please do get in touch if you have thoughts on this subject that you would like to share.

The authors of the first three papers in this issue take part of their inspiration from literature and myth – the Dickens novel ‘Bleak House’, the Greek myth of Pandora, and the Cornish folktale ‘A Tinner