My bipolar BFF

my toxic Inner Critic

Today I read an excellent post about writers dumping their Inner Critics. I could definitely relate to parts of the post by author Nina Badzin.

However, my Inner Critic has a different nature than Nina's. She's not merely a toxic friend. She's bipolar, too. One minute she hates what I'm writing, tells me my work isn't any good, that it will never be any good, and that I should stop wasting time writing and sew Christmas stockings for felines instead, which are at least cute and marketable and might make some money.

my exuberant Inner BFF

But the next minute, she high fives me because of a new opening to a book which felt great while I was writing it, like I was absolutely headed in the right direction, thanks to my exuberant Inner BFF. Until I showed it to others--like gatekeepers and beta readers--no one besides me appreciated the new story start.

One minute my Inner BFF goads me to query a book that's not ready because anybody will be able to see its glorious potential. The next minute, she's kicking me for sending out something that wasn't ready, not by a long shot.

How about your Inner BFF? Up one minute? Down the next? Do you have great writing days and writing days that stink like offal and barely anything in between?

I know I do. For me, one of the ways that I discount my Inner Bipolar BFF is blogging. Blogging allows me to contribute something to the discourse about writing and publishing. My posts aren't going to revolutionize the publishing world but neither can they be faulted for not having value. They have value to someone--if not a handful of readers, than only to me because they offer a chance to practice writing and articulate what I'm feeling.

(Those of you who feel so inclined may insert the threadbare cliche here: "And I'm SOMEBODY-- because God don't make no junk.")

I think the key to success is to level out--to hide the toxic friend's posts from your brain feed until you have acquired enough critical success as defined by others to unfriend your Bipolar Inner BFF. Or put the Inner Critic and the Inner Exuberant Cheerleader in a padded room and let them duke it out.

What do you think?