Going back to an old friend for help

Since I was having trouble getting back to my writing, I thought I would look through a book I bought a long time ago. Dorothea Brande's book "Becoming a Writer."

It was very helpful when I read it many years ago.  So I thought I would review what it says.  The first chapter is inspiring. She talks about how instructors start off saying:  "You must have talent first.  The genius in writing cannot be taught."  Dorothea says that is a big lie.

I loved it when she compared that theory to other artists.  Do we tell painters and sketchers that great artist that they have to have the "genius first" and great artist cannot be taught? Wonder what Picasso would have to say about that.  Remember he studied other artists, always reaching and growing into a better artist.  (I just love his early sketches in a San Francisco museum.) 

Well Dorothea talks about these obstacles that stop writers from being successful.  She calls it "Difficulties."

1. If you want to be a writer you must be an exhibitionist, something is wrong with you.  You don't have any talent or judgment or special ability to be a good writer.
2. If you have a hard time at writing then you really don't have the "gift" to be a writer.
3. If you were fortunate to get something published, and now you can't there is something wrong with you.-- and the finally one
4. This one is a combination of feeling you are good enough and finding writing hard to do.  You get started and then something happens and you can't finish: it's not good enough, it's too hard, it's all wrong.  And you stop.

Dorothea wrote her book back in 1937, yet she did the very same thing we all do: take classes and read books with very little benefit.  Why?

She covers that in Chapter two…