I have been inspired by Meredith Lewis’ Advent Calendar and today’s most so which is on creativity Meredith’s Advent Calendar. This is my best response…

I can still hear her voice in my head. Although long ago she would have sent away mine, unfortunately.

She had spend the last 45 minutes describing her failed novel : the world building was wrong, the editing poor. And by the way, she was an editor.

So all I could do was listen. And quietly mention that I too was an author. And had written a failed novel. And a short story. And that was enough for her to pounce.

What’s the problem? Where’s the tension Andrew? What are the stakes?

And every time I write something now, I ask myself her questions. And more. Especially a poor first draft of a poem. Or a clever but convoluted one : the one laced with smart words and phrases that I want to hold onto.

And I hear her questions again and my responses …So what is it that I am trying to say really? What is it that I am hiding from?

And much like W.B. Yeats’ poem The Circus Animals’ Desertion, one has to journey inward and sift through the forgotten detritus and perhaps this time be shown the truth. So I perhaps be able to pass that to the others. Maybe this time.