Like most writers, I live with the critic constantly perched on my shoulder. It takes a lot of writing to shake off the creature and regain some self-belief. I got to this point last week as I wrote myself into a short story and finished it. In the process, I think I found the solution to knocking Mr Critic off his perch: appoint a mentor or two to take his place.
In my case, three mentors helped me through my story. First was Tim Winton, whose stories from The Turning I have read and re-read over the past month. My second mentor was Hemingway, who helped me loosen up when my writing was locked up and taught me to strive not for a perfectly crafted story but for depth of insight and emotion. Thirdly Philip Roth brought me back down to earth with his mix of drama and reflection.
With their books back on the shelves, I am interviewing other prospective mentors to help me redraft my memoir. The front-runners are Anne Manne, Penelope Lively and Orhan Pamuk. As long as The Critic doesn’t get a look-in.
