• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Big Girl Blue.com

Moe's Favourite Things

  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Show Search
Hide Search
You are here: Home / How To / Dealing with Negative Self Talk

Dealing with Negative Self Talk

You sit down at your desk. In your head your characters are alive and grooving and your plot is rock solid. You are ready. You poise your hands above your keyboard (or pen above notepad). Then the negative self talk begins. You hear a voice say, “You can’t do this.” You find yourself nodding. I can’t, you agree. Or perhaps you are halfway done. You pause mid-sentence. Someone whispers, “This book will be a failure.” You look around and there is no one in the room but you. You think that the voice is a sign. You had always felt like a hack anyway. Sometimes the voice is indirect. It urges you to wash the dishes, to rearrange your bookshelf, or to wash the car. These once-remote activities have now become urgent. You shut off the computer. You are done writing.

Sakinah writes about Dealing with Negative Self Talk.

Often, we are motivated but once we sit in front of the computer, we freeze. During moments such as these, I turn to exercises I have learned from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.

Recognize Inner Critic

Recognize the voice for what it is. It is merely a block to deter you from writing. These are your inner critics, the voices you have internalized and now live with you. They could be your parents, your third grade teacher, or even a recent creative writing teacher. Those voices are determined to keep you from success.

Look for the Source

I think hard about the source of my doubts. Who is telling me I cannot do this? Who is telling me that I will be a failure? Search for the voice that is haunting you and try to figure out where the original comment came from.

Purge the Voices

Cameron lists a myriad of ways to deal with those voices that are blocking you from the confidence you need to complete your work. You can draw cartoons of your critic then throw darts at him. Anne Lamont once wrote in her essay “Sh*** First Drafts” that she keeps her critics in a jar. Play with different ways of getting rid of your critics.

Journal Your Worries

I have found that the best way for me to deal with my own inner critics is to use Cameron’s journaling suggestion. I write nearly everyday, airing my concerns and my worries. By the time I sit down to work on my story, I have already purged the negative self talk voices.

I am convinced that all writers, no matter what stage they are in their careers, are plagued with self-doubt. You must acknowledge that it exists and comes from somewhere, locate that source, then do your best to get rid of it. Even if those voices do not die, hopefully most of them will fade away so that you can return to doing what you love to do. Write.

About Sakinah Hofler

Sakinah Hofler was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Growing up with a sharp tongue in a conservative household led to many stints of punishment, which led to ample time to read and write. Read full bio.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

My Name is Moe

Moe Wood
Thanks for joining me on my journey. I hope you will leave a comment before you go. To learn more about me check out my "about me" page.

Connect with Me On…

FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterestYou TubeEmail Me

What I’m Obsessing Over Now

https://youtu.be/w7rewjFNiys

What’s Happening…

biggirlblue

Poached eggs Poached eggs
Peaceful morning by the water. Peaceful morning by the water.
Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey!
The giant lilies opened while we were out. The giant lilies opened while we were out.
I haven’t seen these poppies for at least ten ye I haven’t seen these poppies for at least ten years. Now I have three.
We decided at the last minute to drive over to the We decided at the last minute to drive over to the grocery store parking lot to see a few of the fireworks. Look who was waiting for us to return.
Lots of flowers on our walk today. Butterflies sho Lots of flowers on our walk today. Butterflies should be here soon!
Little storm came through and left very quickly. Little storm came through and left very quickly.
Enjoy the little things, have a beautiful day. Enjoy the little things, have a beautiful day.
Bunny, take 2! Bunny, take 2!
Bunny! Bunny!
Garden update. Filling in! Garden update. Filling in!
Things are filling out in the garden. Today, I add Things are filling out in the garden. Today, I added mini rabbits I bought on FB marketplace. #gardening #birdbath #tulips #ferns #hostas #trillium #bleedinghearts #rabbits
Found this big guy hanging out on one of our cedar Found this big guy hanging out on one of our cedar trees watching ants go by. I told him to get to work but he just pretended I was talking to the rock behind him. He’s about the size of the palm of my hand. We used to have a fist size one for many years but I haven’t seen him in a long time. #toads #gardenfriends
Back in TO to get some stitches to fix the tear in Back in TO to get some stitches to fix the tear in my eye. Then Swiss Chalet! LOL it’s become a routine. PMH then SW. LOL
The new garden is coming along this spring! I just The new garden is coming along this spring! I just remembered I have glass rocks and bunnies to put in!
#succulents So tiny. So cute. #succulents So tiny. So cute.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Currently Reading

Marie Lu's Skyhunter
This ARC was gifted me to review and I have finally been able to crack it open. So far so good. Marie Lu Skyhunter

Stop Biting the Tail You’re Chasing

Tolerance
"No matter in what situations we find ourselves, when we don’t have so many opinions and preferences we naturally experience more peace of mind. We feel more agreeable, more comfortable, and more able to fit in with others. When we are more tolerant, not only do our minds’ stability and experience of meditation improve, but the conduct of our body, speech, and mind also improves because we stop being so reactive."
Find this book on Amazon.ca:

Or Amazon.com.

Expand Your Mind with a Quote

Quote Writing Prompt: read E. W. Howe quote, contemplate, then write for fifteen minutes.
Quote Writing Prompt: read Mary Kay Ash quote, contemplate, then write for fifteen minutes.
Quote Writing Prompt: read this Eric Berne quote, contemplate it, then write for fifteen minutes.
Quote Writing Prompt: read this Amy Tan quote, contemplate it, then write for fifteen minutes.
Quote Writing Prompt: read C. P. Snow quote, contemplate, then write for fifteen minutes.
Quote Writing Prompt: read this Ruth Benedict quote, contemplate it, then write for fifteen minutes.

Footer

My Current YouTube Addiction — Check out Trent and Allie

https://youtu.be/xgfw_ogCy7A

RSS Subscribe to my feed:

  • Evive Smoothies
  • MasterClass Steps Up Learning
  • Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow

Learn to Play Ukulele

https://youtu.be/MVqxKEaQHM0

· Copyright M. E. Wood© 2023 · WordPress ·

Take a Random Look ARound

anna scholz authors biw member interview biw tips body image books bras Etsy handbags igigi Interviews journaling ideas Lane Bryant lingerie literary fiction literature nail polish novels plus size active wear plus size career wear plus size clothing plus size clothing sales Plus size denim plus size dresses plus size halloween costumes plus size jeans plus size maxi dresses plus size party dresses plus size swimsuits plus size t-shirts plus size tops reading squidoo lens building tips swimwear Threadless tops visual writing prompts writers writer´s block writing advice writing lessons writing life writing prompts writing related books writing tips