SURVIVING AS WRITERS
I wrote a series of essays (such as “Fiction Writers and Learned Helplessness”) about mental techniques that can be used to help survive as a writer that I learned either from other writers or in the course of helping my son with his autism. Publishing can be a rough business. My hope is that these essays help make it easier to deal with the inevitable negatives (such as rejections, critics, sharks looking to rip you off, and angry readers) and easier to take the initiative when opportunities arise.
— Fiction Writers and Learned Helplessness
— The Mental Difference Between Delegating Work vs. Abdicating Control
— Dealing With the Shock of All Those “No”s
— Getting Beyond “Yes” or “No” Thinking in Writing, Part One
—Getting Beyond “Yes” or “No” Thinking in Writing, Part Two
—The Craving for Validation Can Really Screw Things Up
—Sooner or Later Someone Will Try to Put You Down as a Writer
—Thoughts on How Instant Feedback Can Impact the Voice of Some Writers
—Turtle Steps Add Up to a Long Distance Over a Year
—Shutting Up Your Inner Critic
—Every Renown Writer Starts Out a Beginner
HELP WITH WRITER’S BLOCK
Since I can never fully repay those artists who helped me on my own journey, these essays on dealing with writing blocks is my way of beginning to “pay it forward.” If something here helps you, I hope someday you will help another artist.
One CAN recover from a horrible bout of writer’s block
Jerrold Mundis’ BREAK WRITER’S BLOCK NOW
Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY-Recovering from severe creative block
Dorothea Brande’s BECOMING A WRITER–helping writers overcome behavioral problems
Making a Game of Writing Productivity
Submissions block (the cousin of writer’s block) and two books by Ralph Keyes that can help
A pep talk for writers – Brenda Ueland’s IF YOU WANT TO WRITE
