The Surprise Benefit of Talking to Yourself

It only works if you do it out loud

Photo: winsmiss via flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Whenever I’ve got bad writer’s block, or I’m anxious about an interview, or I’m not sure how to approach a conversation with an editor—or, for that matter, a friend — I talk to myself. Out loud.

I like to go for a drive, or a walk, or even jump in the shower, and I just chatter away. I try out lines until…