There we were the other day, surfing for new sources of info and tips on writing, and along came Jeff Goins, author of The Art of Work and a blog that we got a hell of a lot out of and think y’all will too. Here, straight from the pages of Goins, Writer.Com is a sample of what we found:
by Josh Irby
My life is noisy. With three small children and a fourth having just arrived, it’s hard to find a quiet place to think at home.
At work, I lead a team of 12 people. There are always questions to answer, teammates to encourage, problems to solve. Often, writing is drowned out by the noise. Sometimes I just want to shout, “Shut up! I’m writing!”
But recently, I’ve realized these external voices are not the problem. They are not the greatest threat to my writing. There are three voices that will drown out my writing if I don’t control them — and they all live inside my head.
The Critic
The Critic sits in a high back chair somewhere in my subconscious immaculately dressed and flipping through a classic novel. I can tell by his smug smile that he has high standards.
Nothing is ever quite good enough for him, and he’s proud of the fact.
He knows that he is the secret to my creative success. His ability to distinguish between good and bad writing is what makes my voice unique.
Without the Critic, my words would blend into the noise of our information age. He gives my writing voice an edge. But he is also my worst enemy.
I sit at my desk, fingers resting on the keys. He leans forward in his chair, straightens his double Windsor, and stairs up at me under lowered eyebrows. As I type, he whispers:
- “Not good enough.”
- “Are you sure you want to say it that way.”…