Becoming a Writer

Foreword by John GardnerIn Introduction1. The Four DifficultiesThe Difficulty of Writing at All; The "One-Book Author"; The Occasional Writer; The Uneven Writer; The Difficulties Not in Technical Equipment.2. What Writers are LikeCultivating a Writer's Temperament; False and Real Artists; The Two Sides of a Writer; "Dissociation" Not Always Psychopathic; Everyday Examples of Dual Personality; The Slough of Despond3. The Advantages of DuplicityThe Process of Story Formation; The "Born Writer"; Unconscious and Conscious; The Two Persons of the Writer; The Transparent Barrier; Keep Your Own Counsel; Your "Best Friend and Severest Critic"; The Right Recreation; Friends and Books; The Arrogant Intellect; The Two Selves Not at War; The First Exercise4. Interlude: On Taking AdviceSave Your Energy; Imagination Versus Will in Changing Habits; Displacing Old Habits; A Demonstration; The Right Frame of Mind5. Harnessing the UnconsciousWordless Daydreams; Toward Effortless Writing; Double Your "Output"6. Writing on ScheduleEngaging to Write; A Debt of Honor; Extending the Exercise; Succeed, or Stop Writing7. The First SurveyReading Your Work Critically; The Pitfalls of Imitation; Discovering Your Strength; A Footnote for Teachers8. The Critic at Work on HimselfA Critical DialogueBe Specific in SuggestionsCorrection After CriticismThe Conditions of ExcellenceDictating a Daily Regime9. Readings as a WriterRead TwiceSummary Judgment and Detailed AnalysisThe Second ReadingPoints of Importance10. On ImitationImitating Technical ExcellenceHow to Spend WordsCounteracting MonotonyPick Up Fresh Words11. Learning to See AgainThe Blinders of HabitCauses of RepetitiousnessRecapturing Innocence of EyeA Stranger in the StreetsThe Rewards of Virtue12. The Source of OriginalityThe Elusive QualityOriginality Not ImitationThe "Surprise Ending"Honesty, the Source of OriginalityTrust Yourself"Your Anger and My Anger"One Story, Many VersionsYour Inalienable UniquenessA Questionnaire13. The Writer's RecreationBusmen's HolidaysWordless RecreationFind Your Own StimulusA Variety of Time-Fillers14. The Practice StoryA RecapitulationThe Contagiousness of StyleFind Your Own StyleThe Story in EmbryoThe Preparatory PeriodWriting ConfidentlyA Finished ExperimentTime for DetachmentThe Critical Reading15. The Great DiscoveryThe Five-Finger Exercises of WritingThe Root of GeniusUnconscious, Not SubconsciousThe Higher ImaginationCome to Terms with the UnconsciousThe Artistic Coma and the Writer's Magic16. The Third Person, GeniusThe Writer Not Dual But TripleThe Mysterious FacultyReleasing GeniusRhythm, Monotony, SilenceA Floor to Scrub17. The Writer's MagicX Is to Mind as Mind to BodyHold Your Mind StillPractice in ControlThe Story Idea as the ObjectThe Magic in OperationInducing the "Artistic Coma"ValedictoryIn Conclusion: Some Prosaic PointersTypewritingHave Two TypewritersStationeryAt the Typerwriter: WRITE!For Coffee AddictsCoffee Versus MatéReadingBook and Magazine BuyingBibliographyIndex