Self-Help for Writers
Anyone who works in an artistic profession battles demons. It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, painter, dancer, actor, or whatever. Rejection comes with the territory. If you hope to survive, you develop coping mechanisms for riding the ups and downs. They can be big commitments (an annual retreat, a weekly session with a therapist) or little ones (a daily meditation practice or walk in the woods to stay grounded). One of the ones I use requires just a single piece of note card. Until recently, I thought I got the idea out of a book. It turns out, I came up with the idea myself. But the book is still worth reading if you’re a writer.
The book is called Write For Your Life: The Home Seminar for Writers, by Lawrence Block. (Affiliate link.) The author is a New York Times bestselling author of mystery novels. Well-regarded in crime-writing circles. But that pedigrees means little when it comes to this book. Back in the day, he and his wife traveled the US holding seminars on how to help writers stay sane in a business that devalues them and their work.
The course was moderately successful, and Block later turned the course into a book. I read the book years ago and tucked it away, never bothering to do all the exercises in them. (Don’t be like me!)
Now, years later, I am returning it and working through the steps, one by one. Because I have finally figured out that I’m worth investing in.
The note card ritual I mentioned is part of my article appearing today at SleuthSayers, the mystery blog. The post is entitled:
Have a Word With Yourself!
Here’s a quick morsel:
Two writers inhabit the office where I’m sitting right now. If one of us is having a bad day, the other can’t help but notice. It doesn’t take long before the other occupant gets an earful. On one of those days, I asked my wife to pause in her exasperated recitation. I rooted around in our stash of stationery and produced a piece of textured card stock. I handed it to her, and urged her to write something in this format:
Dear (your name):
You did a great job yesterday writing (short description of the thing you wrote or edited yesterday).
Today you’re going to work on (short description of today’s goal). And you know what? It’s going to be awesome. Have a great day.
I love you,
(sign your name here)
She looked at me like I was nuts but she did it.
The rest of the article talks about the various exercises Block recommends writers use to exorcise their fear, doubt, and self-loathing. I think if you did all the coursework in this slim volume, it would take you about a month but you would carry the lessons with you for the rest of your life.
You can do most of them yourself. Some require an audience in the form of one other person, preferably a loved one. I describe in the post how that might work. And yes, I know that some people won’t feel comfortable doing these exercises in front of another person, even a loved one. That’s cool. You can still do it alone in a room, maybe in front of a mirror.
The point is, you have to try. Because you’re worth it.
Good luck.
I usually try to mention one of my books when I post here. Preferably, one that fits the topic I’m writing about. But I’ve never written a self-help book. The closest I’ve come is maybe the personal finance book Denise and I did for freelance workers.
That said, I’d love it if you checked out my other books on this site. The one I’m featuring this month is my cozy mystery, Murder on Book Row, (affiliate link) which has a great new cover.
Click for details (affiliate links).
Mail spike with notecard image copyright 2025 Joseph D’Agnese.
