When it comes to creative writing, much like dancing, there’s a lot to be said for spontaneity.

We can get started right away, while our minds are filled with entrancing images we’re ready to share.

Like a child dancing in a meadow, just expressing the delight of the moment, sometimes our impulsive, unplanned writing can be the best we’ve ever produced.

And, of course, sometimes it’s a load of old rubbish. But does that negate the value of writing on impulse?

As writers, we hone our craft over the years, learning and practising new skills to improve our stories and poetry. We add all these wonderful, imaginative techniques to the finished product. We change words for more effective ones and rearrange the structure.

Eventually, the parts of each piece all work together like trained dancers in a ballet, creating a thing of stunning power and beauty which could never have arisen spontaneously.

But some of the pieces we’ve laboured over for hours and polished out of all recognition can ultimately prove disappointing, compared with that first free-wheeling leap of joy.

So how do we add the polish, but keep the authenticity?