Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Professional Self-Help Critic

Today, I'll review the chapter entitled "Inner Censor" on pages 12-15 of Dani Shapiro's book, Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life.  Shapiro's premise is that a devious hater sits on her left shoulder and tries to make her give up writing and feel terrible about herself.  That little wench is named "Inner Censor," or I.C.  In BrenĂ© Brown's book, the I.C. splits into a polymorphous crowd of misery called The Gremlins. Elizabeth Gilbert calls them just plain FEAR in Big Magic.

Not surprisingly, all of these writers suggest we flick away the despair carried in by anthropomorphized self-doubt and carry on with our creative lives. Dip your toe into the stream, Shapiro urges.  "[F]eel the rush of words there," she continues. "Words that are like a thousand silvery minnows, below the surface, rushing by. If I don't capture them, they will be lost."

I mean, duh.

What kind of self-help book would encourage you to just flipping give up?  But, I guess the reminder serves.  It's nice to know, I guess, that professional, published writers who have books instead of niche, unsponsored, unfamous blogs also struggle daily to just keep going.  I mean.  I guess.  Lee's got some Shapiro on her blog today too, FYI.  Check it OUT.

1 comment:

mm said...

It always seems so commonsensical when one sees it in print.