Rick Stonell’s idle thoughts

“It always does seem to me that I am doing more work than I should do. It is not that I object to the work, mind you; I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.”

Jerome K. Jerome, “Three Men in a Boat”, Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog) 1889

All affectation, of course.  Jerome was always a hard worker.  He had to be.  Years of poverty and bad luck were only overcome when he became a successful writer and - like everyone but J K Rowling - that took time.