Duplicity

The streetlamps on the corner of one of the houses I deliver to are positioned in such a way that my body casts two separate shadows. Funny thing is that I've been reading a chapter dedicated to duplicity in "Becoming a Writer" and it's meaning really didn't click until I noticed this trick of light. It's like there are two of me. That's how it should be for any writer. The critic needs to remain separate from the creator. The creative personality needs to be protected and allowed to be full of intense feelings and sensitivity. That critical monster has to be kept away because it doesn't know how to play nicely with the creative pile of mush. The critic can silence the creator forever if the two aren't kept on their own sides of the bench. Cage the monster while your work is new. He'll have plenty of time to play when it's time to edit.