Becoming a Writer

Published in 1934 and still the best book available on practical psychology of creative writing and all related aspects. The author was herself a successful fiction writer, journalist and also authored a self-help bestseller "Wake Up and Live!". This book is a must for every practicing or aspiring writer.

ForewordIn 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