In case of emergency

I am reading a fabulous book at the moment that I came across by chance in a lovely charity book store in Manhattan http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/bookstore-cafe/
The book was 8 dollars and I nearly didn't buy it because, well that's the price of latte or two and I have SO many books (mostly plays or books about plays) on my to-read list already I didn't really need another one.
Something about the book felt right so I bought it and a couple of other books that were presents for my Brooklyn buddies.
I figured I'd carry it back to London and read it when I had the time (perhaps in 2011), but the other night I was quite stressed and my mind was racing at 1am so I decided to read a few pages of something that I didn't have any vested interest in to try and help me get to sleep...
I picked up this 8 dollar book off my overloaded 'to read' shelf and I haven't put it down since.

The book is called Writing from the Inside Out by Dennis Palumbo and it is a lovely, helpful and insightful book about the problems writers have with writer's block which he describes as a mish mash of doubt and fear and envy. He talks about each feeling and how it can be an obstacle to writing and how it is best to embrace it and channel that energy into your characters and your work. It's got very short passages so it's easy to dip in and out as needed which when you are constantly stealing snatches of time from life to do the thing you love is really helpful.
It has been one of the things that has really helped me through a very tough couple of weeks mostly because it made me realise I'm not alone and also because it has reminded me how much I love to write, which I think I had got myself so stressed I had simply forgotten.

The book has a 3 page section about the buddy system saying that every writer (and indeed creative person) needs a buddy they can call to discuss their work with, even if it's in a panic at 1am.
When I started my MA our tutor said we should find a buddy so that if we missed a lecture we could swap notes etc. So I chose my buddy (based on a shared love of the work of Enda Walsh) and we adopted a 2nd buddy too as she was on exchange for the year.
Since then these guys have changed from just the people I get missed notes off to my theatre buddies, my ideas buddies, my drinking buddies, my holiday buddies and well, my inspiration.
They constantly amaze me with their talent and their kindness and they have helped me out of what has felt like a deep hole of confusion recently.
I guess I just wanted to share how grateful I am that I prescribed to this 'buddy system' because it's the creative version of the 'In case of emergency...' contact. It's not that other friends and family don't help and support you - but those that go through the same hell and back as you are sometimes the only ones that can help you knock down whatever wall is holding you back, because they know who you are and what you are capable of and they are the only people in the world who believe that those two things are enough.
I have 2 great 'In case of emergency' buddies (and a few others too who are amazingly talented and incredibly supportive and always willing to buy me a pint of guinness to help ease the pain) and even if I never make it as a writer then at least I will have been lucky enough to meet these people and call them my buddies along the way.

If you know who your 'In case of emergency' person or people are then call them - call them straight away and tell them and ask them how they are doing.
If you don't yet have a person then get hold of Palumbo's book so that when you do you'll be able to help them out.

Page 28 of the book "Agents come and go. So do assignments, good ideas, flush times, and lean times. But for a writer, the buddy system - the long term, ongoing relationship with that one intellectual, emotional, creative soulmate - is a treasured constant".