Tag Archives: manuscript rejection

Instead of “OMG! what will they think of me!?” try, “What will help the writing?”

None of us can completely separate our feelings about our “self” when judgments are made about our writing. But perhaps we can move in that direction just enough to prevent criticism and rejection from precipitating OMG! reactions that paralyze our writing muscles. One … Continue reading

Posted in Common Writing Block Problems, The Blocked Writer's Book of the Dead, Tips for overcoming writer's block and procrastination | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“What will help the writing?”

None of us can completely separate our feelings about our “self” when judgments are made about our writing. But perhaps we can move in that direction just enough to prevent criticism and rejection from paralyzing our writing muscles. One way … Continue reading

Posted in Common Writing Block Problems, The Blocked Writer's Book of the Dead, Tips for overcoming writer's block and procrastination | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Your duty to protect yourself from harmful feedback

Many people in your writing life will not be highly skilled in the art of giving useful, non-traumatizing feedback about your work. As the primary custodian of your writing, one of your responsibilities is to protect your ability to do … Continue reading

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Hooray! Success!…….then a block

You’d think that the experience of success as a writer would boost your confidence and inspire you to write regularly, with vigor and enthusiasm. It sometimes does. I’ve seen the reverse happen with several writers, who became blocked after hitting … Continue reading

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Paul Giamatti…self-loathing writer in “Sideways”

Paul Giamatti beautifully portrays the ravages that manuscript rejection can inflict on an aspiring author in the movie Sideways. He has had a few near misses with his dark, ponderous novel – giving  just enough hope to perpetuate his agony. When … Continue reading

Posted in Feedback and criticism, Mental health and writing blocks, The Blocked Writer's Book of the Dead, Tips for overcoming writer's block and procrastination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment