Writer's Survival Guide

In my never-ending quest to procrastinate, I browsed through a writing advice book: The Writer's Survival Guide by Rachel Simon. It's clear she has been a working writer, and she has solid counsel to pass along. I particularly liked chapter 2, "Big Emotions and States of Mind." Simon lists

• Competitiveness--a seething desire to best everyone else
• Confidence
• Contemplativeness
• Ego--"a rigid self-perception of supposed perfection"
• Energy
• Envy
• Feelings of failure--"a shudder of vast disappointment in ourselves"
• Feelings of inferiority
• Guilt
• Insecurity
• Inquisitiveness
• Laziness
• Loneliness
• Love/Hate--"contradictory epiphanies about our work"
• Meaningfulness--"a glow of dignity from engaging in purposeful activity"
• Paranoia
• Passion
• Pride
• Shame--worrying about what will happen when everyone realizes that you are a fraud.
• Spiritual contectedness

The general antecdotes to the negatives among that list are found in chapter 3: setting boundaries; celebrating every accomplishment; committing to ourselves that our writing is valuable; believing in our own inner voice; exhibiting humility, discipline, patience, and tenacity; and having writing friends.

Of course she describes and expounds. She sometimes sounds too New Age-y for me, but pretty much I agree with her views.