He gained repute as a soldier, a scientist, a spy, and a gentleman. The story of his life inspired the 20th century’s most memorable characters in film: James Bond, Han Solo, Captain Kirk, Indiana Jones. But it would take nearly nine decades to find out who the real Richard Meinertzhagen really was.

This article is essentially what I’ve learned about writing so far. Not the nuts-and-bolts—which you can find at workshops and conferences—but rather what I’ve learned about the nature of writing. I have come to find that the writing process, and the mentality of writers in general, is closely intertwined with the subjects of sanity, meaning, and death.