| Gremlins are the cruel, cunning embodiment of the | | | | your book tour, to a Ferrari, to your grandma-whatever |
| limiting thoughts that hold writers back. The first step | | | | puts you in the right mind and mood for writing. Think |
| toward vanquishing yours is to consciously notice its | | | | of two or three. |
| presence (see Writing Gremlins, Part One: Noticing | | | | - Thoughts. Craft some empowering ones to fire back |
| Your Gremlin). This skill takes practice and is worth | | | | at your gremlin. Sentiments like "I'm so appreciative and |
| developing because it shifts power to you, the | | | | grateful for my writing life!" will shock it into hasty |
| observer, and allows you to choose a proactive | | | | retreat. |
| response. | | | | - Fantasies. I don't know about you, but I've always had |
| I'm in a coffee shop as I write this article, staring blankly | | | | the Oprah's Book Club fantasy, and my gremlin |
| at the pastry case, making no progress. Tension in the | | | | quakes like Jell-O when I play it. Pick a few favorites |
| gut is my gremlin detector, and it sounds the alarm. I | | | | to keep yours at bay. |
| take a deep breath, then identify the | | | | - Sounds. Applause, laughter, a fat hardback closing. |
| emotion-discouragement-and the thought-"I can't | | | | Brainstorm sounds that will make your gremlin cringe. |
| possibly do this in 500 words; have a Danish"-that | | | | You can even download them off the Internet if you |
| accompany this body sensation. My gremlin, a | | | | want |
| gelatinous fiend, looms large, waiting to see if I'll take | | | | - Actions. Ever jump for joy or clap with excitement? |
| the bait. It wants me to eat that Danish and go home | | | | Physical actions are great gremlin tamers, especially in |
| feeling queasy, but I reduce it to a blob of raspberry | | | | tandem with other replacements. Karate kicks do it for |
| jam. | | | | me. |
| Step two of vanquishing your gremlin is to replace it | | | | Once you've created your replacements, choose a |
| with something that makes you feel good and | | | | favorite from each category and work with those first. |
| increases your writing power. Replacements can take | | | | Experiment. Develop best practices. Employ |
| many forms: words, images, actions, etc. For maximum | | | | combinations. For example, after noticing your gremlin, |
| effectiveness, they should be immediately available, | | | | stun it with "bulletproof," subject it to an Oprah |
| infused with personal meaning and tied to emotions, | | | | interview and make it cringe with applause, then drop it |
| thoughts and sensations that serve you. The following | | | | with a well-placed karate kick. |
| replacements tend to work well for writers: | | | | But don't stop there. To actively increase your power, |
| - Words. Choose a few that describe how you feel | | | | use this technique every time you sit down to write, |
| when you're writing at your best: "Focused," "Joyful," | | | | even when your gremlin isn't there-and read Rick |
| "Bulletproof." When your gremlin appears, stun it with | | | | Carson's book Taming Your Gremlin. With practice, |
| verbiage. | | | | your skills will improve, and before too long, your |
| - Images. These can be anything from a snapshot of | | | | gremlin, not you, will be the one feeling queasy. |