Write Mind PA: 299 Things Writeres Should Never Say Themselves ( What They Should Say Instead) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I am a stupid, neurotic person with no real talent..." (more)
Key Phrases: wrong mind, writing discipline, right silence, Great Sleep, Very Big Publishing (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his latest how-to, psychotherapist and writing coach Eric Maisel (Deep Writing, The Creativity Book) offers encouraging advice and plenty of snappy admonishments to writers caught in the quagmire of writer's block or the quicksand of self-doubt. There's a right way and a wrong way to think about the creative process, Maisel says, and Write Mind: 299 Things Writers Should Never Say to Themselves is designed to help writers firmly align themselves with the former. After a brief introduction, Maisel plunges into his numbered lessons: in #111, for example, the wrong mind whines, "I have no chance," while the right mind says, "I still have hope." All of his counsel sounds like what writers have been telling themselves all along, but Maisel hopes that hearing it from him will finally make it stick.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

For every excuse writers have for not writing, for every anxiety they have about the quality of what they have written, Write Mind has an answer. Offering an instant antidote to creative negativity, this beautifully designed book shows writers how to turn their 299 most common "wrong mind" thoughts about what, why, how, and how much they are writing into a corresponding "write mind" thought that will help them feel more fulfilled by their art. For example:

Wrong Mind: "I need what I am writing to be loved."
Right Mind: "I need what I am writing to be strong."


Addressing such concerns as coping with writer's block, dealing with rejection, and maintaining momentum and interest in one's work, Write Mind is fresh, original, and direct.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; First Printing edition (February 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585421367
• ISBN-13: 978-1585421367
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #696,405 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cognitive therapy for writers, May 19, 2004

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Write Mind: 299 Things Writers Should Never Say to Themselves (and what they should say instead)" is a book of affirmations - positive things you say to yourself in an effort to put yourself in a better frame of mind. This is a surprisingly versatile little book with a lot to say. It was written by psychotherapist, writer, and creative consultant Eric Maisel, author of two of my other favorite writing books--"Living the Writer's Life" and "Deep Writing."

Maisel's affirmations are surprisingly practical. They don't always tell us that we're right; they don't encourage us to adopt a blind, everything-is-okay approach to life. But they do encourage us to move on despite our problems. Not everyone agrees with the precepts of cognitive therapy. One of its implications is that we don't need to understand or address where our "bad thoughts" come from--we just need to address those thoughts. There are plenty of people who believe that until we figure out and address the root cause of our traumas, we can't be free of them. Maisel takes a balanced approach to this. He admits that he doesn't know for sure whether such a cause-based approach is better for you. But he does point out that trying a cognitive approach (on its own or as an adjunct to other therapy) can't hurt, and certainly might help, so why not give it a try?

Obviously not every affirmation will be right for you straight out of the box. The idea is that you learn how to create your own--ones that suit your particular issues and problems. The affirmations that Maisel provides will give you plenty of examples to start from, and he brings in a touch of humor here and there to lighten the mood. But perhaps this is best summed up by one of my favorite examples from the book:

Wrong Mind: "Dan just published another book. I'm going to Amazon right now and give it a terrible review."
Right Mind: "Let me get back to my novel."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, October 27, 2002

By A Customer

This excellent book packs a great punch in a small space. Using simple but useful cognitive therapy techniques, Maisel presents pairs of ideas--worse ways and better ways for writers to think about the issues that confront them. It is amazingly beneficial to see these "wrong mind" and "right mind" statements side-by-side. Highly recommended!

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Hokey Pokey, May 21, 2005

By	Zanzibar (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This book is so hokey! I actually did get quite a few laughs out of it, but I don't think it was intended to be a joke book.