Writing and the Partnered Down Dog

Yesterday evening at Pilates we finished with a Partnered Down Dog. This sounds pretty raunchy and indeed there were quite a lot of giggles and joking about it turning into a bondage session. Of course in practice we were all very serious and stretched our hamstrings out in turn, our partners providing a counter balance so the stretch increased. Walking home afterwards I realised I'd pushed my body further than I would have done on my own, and it felt good.

Wouldn't it be great if we had a writing partner who made us go that little bit further with our writing? Who said, go on, you can write a little bit more today. Or nudged us into completing the story we were struggling with. Who encouraged us to persist with that extra round of letters to agents. I think most of us could do with a writing friend like that.

If we're lucky we can find a writing partner in class, through a writing group or an on-line forum, but they can't be there for us all the time. If you seriously want to write you have to develop your own inner writing partner, a little voice that will send you to write when turning on the television would be easier, the one that never lets you get away with sending out work you deep down know isn't finished. Call it your Muse if you must, but learn to be your own best writing friend.