Plenty of people were writing novels; in fact, if one did a survey in the street, half of Edinburgh was writing a novel, and this meant that there really weren't enough characters to go round. Unless, of course, one wrote about people who were themselves writing novels. And what would the novels that these fictional characters were writing be about? Well, they would be novels about people writing novels.
In Alexander McCall Smith's "Love Over Scotland," the author humorously observes the prevalent trend of novel writing in Edinburgh, suggesting that if you asked around, many locals would claim to be working on a novel. This abundance of writers creates a scarcity of unique characters, leading to a humorous dilemma for potential authors.
The irony lies in the idea that if someone were to create characters who are also authors, their stories would likely reflect the same phenomenon of writing about writing. Thus, the cycle of creativity becomes a self-referential loop, highlighting the challenges and quirks of the literary world.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
