We like to think there's such a think as critical thinking. But the reality is, until it's expressed in writing, it's really critical circling.

The brain plays marvellous tricks through our thoughts. The deceptive feeling of certainty that comes from a thought doing its rounds of the brain. The fleeting visual images that make those thoughts seem more concrete.

But reality sets in when we put pen to paper. The rhythm, the flow of the writing. Drawing in, setting aside.

That's why writing is so critical. I try whenever I can to commit an appealing train of thought to hard, concrete prose. Will it stand the test of paragraphing, of punctuation . . . of being confined to sentences?

Or does it fall apart like a fantasy?

Time for some critical writing.