The Writing Process Is Bounded By Two Contrary Actions

The Writing Process is bounded by two contrary actions: Believing and Doubting
A range of writing activities, behaviors, and attitudes can enhance— or thwart—your ability to write successfully incollege or in work-place settings.  However, no factor is more important than playing the believing game, which simply means  staying positive, ignoring the internal critic, and having faith in thewriting process, faith that with revision, lousy first drafts can become effective, maybe even elegant. Throughout the time you are working on a document, as hard as it is sometimes to stay positive, giveyourself positive, energizing messages, such as "I can do this...I have enough time...I'm smart enough..."  If you find your thinking/writing process to be undercut by negative, energy-drainingmessages, pull out a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle of the page.  On the left-hand side, write down the negative message.  Then, on the right-hand side write a more affirming message, onethat either contradicts the negative statement or one that shows a way around the problem. While ideally it makes sense to play the believing game throughout the time you're working on the document,it's probably more realistic to balance the believing game with the doubting game

Play the Believing Game
During the early stages of the writing process, you can work more productively by settingaside doubt and play the believing game,a "game" that is characterized by having faith in the writing process— faith that with additional work, you will develop effective writing habits.
Play theDoubting Game
While playing the believing game is critical to the Writing Process, at times you also need to be critical (even hypercritical) of your ideas and drafts.  On occasion, you need to step backand ask yourself critical questions, such as "Am I providing the narrative that my readers need to find my analysis compelling?  Is my evidence truly credible?  Jeez, is this wordy?  Can I say the...