The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes.

The line suggests that creative planning often happens best during repetitive, low-stakes activities that free the mind from distractions. Dishwashing becomes a metaphor for “automatic” labor that quiets conscious effort and allows ideas—especially narrative structure and puzzle-like plotting—to assemble themselves. It also subtly demystifies authorship: inspiration is not confined to a study or a special mood but can be cultivated in ordinary life. In Christie’s case, the domestic setting underscores how a writer can transform constrained circumstances into a productive imaginative space.