Becoming a Writer

Foreword In Introduction One - The Four Difficulties The Difficulty of Writing at All The "One-Book Author" The Occasional Writer The Uneven Writer The Difficulties Not in Technical Equipment Two - What Writers Are Like Cultivating 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 Despond Three - The Advantages of Duplicity The 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 Exercise Interlude On Taking Advice Save Your Energy Imagination Versus Will in Changing Habits Displacing Old Habits A Demonstration The Right Frame of Mind Five - Harnessing the Unconscious Wordless Daydreams Toward Effortless Writing Double Your "Output" Six - Writing on Schedule Engaging to Write A Debt of Honor Extending the Exercise Succeed or Stop Writing Seven - The First Survey Reading Your Work Critically The Pitfalls of Imitation Discovering Your Strength A Footnote for Teachers Eight - The Critic at Work on Himself A Critical Dialogue Be Specific in Suggestions Correction After Criticism The Conditions of Excellence Dictating a Daily Regime Nine - Reading as a Writer Read Twice Summary Judgment and Detailed Analysis The Second Reading Points of Importance Ten - On Imitation Imitating Technical Excellences How to Spend Words Counteracting Monotony Pick Up Fresh Words Eleven - Learning to See Again The Blinders of Habit Causes of Repetitiousness Recapturing Innocence of Eye A Stranger in the Streets The Elusive Quality The Rewards of Virtue Twelve - The Source of Originality The Elusive Quality Originality Not Imitation