creating a story

My wife Christine (she's the one in red) is sitting on the 18:12 out of Edinburgh Waverley, bound for Manchester Airport. She's looking forward to getting off at Preston to journey to Blackburn to see our daughter Charlotte. She's made her way to the station straight from work, and I've met her with her luggage, including Chrismas presents (a number being homemade) for members of the family in the north-west of England.

As I grow colder standing on the platform, waiting to wave her off, I find myself thinking of how Christine has many talents and abilities which she weaves through the different dimensions of her life. I've just mentioned work, journeys, children, and giftmaking. Each one of our lives are made up of so many things.

The difference between complicated and complex is that, whilst both are made up of many different elements, complexity involves many more connections between these.

Flow - living in the sweet spot of energy and passion - is about complexity. Great stories are complex (although I would want to say, not perfect - not tying up all lose ends if they are to be true to life): Story talent is primary, says Robert McKee, literary talent is second but essential (Story).

Which makes me think of how we are trying to do more than simply "write" something with our lives, we are trying to write a really good story.