![apoetreflects:
Exercise to Quiet the Voices in One’s Head When Working on a Draft:
“Close your eyes and get quiet for a minute, until the chatter starts up. Then isolate one of the voices and imagine the person speaking as a mouse. Pick it up by the tail and drop it into a mason jar. Then isolate another voice, pick it up by the tail, drop it in the jar, And so on. Drop in any high-maintenance parental units, any contractors, lawyers, colleagues, children, anyone who is whining in your head. Then put the lid on, and watch al these mouse people clawing at the glass, jabbering away, trying to make you feel [badly] because you won’t do what they want—won’t give them more money, won’t be more successful, won’t see them more often.
Then imagine that there is a volume-control button on the jar. Turn it all the way up for a minute, and listen to the stream of angry, neglected, guilt-mongering voices. Then turn it all the way down and watch the frantice mice lunge at the glass, trying to get to you. Leave it down, and get back to your first draft.”
—Annie Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anchor Books, 1994)](http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxgb2fARxS1qe0r71o1_500.jpg)
Exercise to Quiet the Voices in One’s Head When Working on a Draft:
“Close your eyes and get quiet for a minute, until the chatter starts up. Then isolate one of the voices and imagine the person speaking as a mouse. Pick it up by the tail and drop it into a mason jar. Then isolate another voice, pick it up by the tail, drop it in the jar, And so on. Drop in any high-maintenance parental units, any contractors, lawyers, colleagues, children, anyone who is whining in your head. Then put the lid on, and watch al these mouse people clawing at the glass, jabbering away, trying to make you feel [badly] because you won’t do what they want—won’t give them more money, won’t be more successful, won’t see them more often.
Then imagine that there is a volume-control button on the jar. Turn it all the way up for a minute, and listen to the stream of angry, neglected, guilt-mongering voices. Then turn it all the way down and watch the frantice mice lunge at the glass, trying to get to you. Leave it down, and get back to your first draft.”
—Annie Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anchor Books, 1994)
