with a few minutes of undirected, spontaneous writing. Another
idea is to distract yourself completely before writing. That is, go
mow the lawn or work out and then come back to your work. I of-
ten take a break by playing my harmonica or working on a new
song (I prefer it to working out).
Some writers enjoystruggling with their writing. Why? Because
they come from the “no pain, no gain” mentality. Some tennis play-
ers, for example, after experiencing the ease of letting their Self
Two help them play tennis,stillgo out on the court and fight to im-
prove themselves. It’s an ego trip, my friend. As Gallwey wrote in
The Inner Game of Tennis, “You feel that youare in control, that you
are the master of the situation.” Hah!
When you continue to struggle to write (or play tennis), you feel
a sense of satisfaction. Maybe even dissatisfaction. But—and this is
the main point—youare still there. Still involved, still controlling,
still trying to direct the show. If that describes you, then you have
identified with Self One, the critic.
Though it’s not an immediate ego gratifier, it’s wiser to give in to
Self Two, the Master. If that bothers you, then consider this: After
you have written something based on these principles,you can take
the credit for it!
You don’t have to tell anyone that Self Two helped you write that
best selling book or award winning script. No one has to know.No
One! So feel free to play the inner game to writing. Set a clear goal,
focus on something in the moment, and trust what happens. Later
on, edit your work, perfect it, and take credit for it!
After all, my friend,youdid the writing, didn’t you?HYPNOTIC WRITING