Writing from the Inside Out: Transforming Your Psychological Blocks to Release the Writer Within

"Dennis Palumbo has great insight into a writer s psyche.... Every writer should have a shrink or this book. The book is cheaper." —Gary Shandling, actor, comic, and writer "wise, compassionate, and funny..." —Aram Saroyan, poet and novelist "Dennis Palumbo provides a sense of community in the isolation of writing, of knowing that we are not alone on this uncharted and privileged journey. He shows us that our shared struggles, fears, and triumphs are the very soul of the art and craft of writing." —Bruce Joel Rubin, screenwriter, GhostandDeepImpact Writer's block. Procrastination. Loneliness. Doubt. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Just plain...fear. What does it mean if you struggle with these feelings on a daily basis?It means you re a writer. Written with a unique empathy and deep insight by someone who is both a fellow writer and a noted psychotherapist, Writing from the Inside Out sheds light on the inner life of the writer and shows you positive new ways of thinking about your art and yourself. Palumbo touches on subjects ranging from writer s envy to rejection, from the loneliness of solitude to the joy of craft. Most of all, he leads you to the most empowering revelation of all that you are enough. Everything you need to navigate the often tumultuous terrain of the writer s path and create your best work is right there inside you.

Table of Contents:
Foreword ix Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 1 Part One THE WRITING LIFE Writer’s Block 15 Your “Baby” 19 Inspiration 23 The Buddy System 26 It’s Alive! 29 Your “Precious Darlings” 32 Writing Begets Writing 35 Part Two YOU ARE ENOUGH Simple, but Not Easy 45 What Really Happened. . . . 49  “For I Have Done Good Work” 53 On the Couch 57 “You’re No John Updike!” 61 Part Three GRIST FOR THE MILL Envy 69 Faith and Doubt 72 Fear 75 The Judge 79 Double-Barreled Blues 82 Myths, Fairy Tales, and Woody Allen 86 The Long View 91 Part Four THE REAL WORLD The Pitch 101 Rejection 105 That Sinking Feeling 108 Reinventing Yourself 112 Deadline Dread 115 Three Hard Truths 119 Part Five PAGE FRIGHT Gumption Traps 127 Procrastination 130 Patience 134 Perspective 138 In Praise of Goofing Off 141 Writing about Dogs 145 Going the Distance 148 Part Six THE REAL WORLD, PART II Agents 159 Home of the Heart 163 The Unknown 167 Lately, I Don’t Like the Things I Love 171 Ageism 175 Part Seven HANGING ON Commitment 185 News Flash: Writing Is Hard! 189 Burnout: A Modest Proposal 193 A Writer’s Library 197 A Stillness That Characterizes Prayer 201 Part Eight DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT Phone Call from Paradise 211 The Idea Man 216 I’ve Come a Long Way on Paper 220 Loneliness 223 Larry: A True Story 226 Conclusion 239