Sometimes, my worst enemy/critic when it comes to writing is myself. When I find myself caught in a loop of negative thought, I pull out Write Mind by Eric Maisel. The subtitle says it all: 299 Things Writers Should Never Say to Themselves (and What They Should Say Instead).

The “things you shouldn’t say” run the gamut from soul crushing self-doubt, to envy/jealously, to misplaced pride and everything in between. Here’s a small sample:

#180
Wrong Mind: “My writing teacher says that I should stop writing. He claims that I have no talent.”
Right Mind: “He can fry in hell.”

#82
Wrong Mind: “I need to read another book on writing.”
Right Mind: “I need to write.”

#21
Wrong Mind: “I can’t write because I won’t be able to tolerate all of the rejections.”
Right Mind: “Not writing is the bigger rejection: the rejection of my own voice.”