Know when to stop

We're not machines. Some of us can write for hours and hours, others write in short spurts. But we all need a break eventually ... and those breaks can be dangerous.

Know when to go, and when to stop.Have you ever powered through to the end of a scene or sequence, thrilled, happy with it - and then decided that you've earned yourself a break? That is actually the worst moment to take a break. You're likely to struggle to get back into that zone again afterwards. A very simple way of working around this is to stop in the middle. Whenever things are going well, whenever you feel the need for a break coming on - stop in the middle of a scene, in the middle of conversation, in the middle of a shoot-out. It makes continuing after the break very easy.

This isn't quite as easy as it sounds. When you're in the middle of a great scene, everything flows, the dialogue sizzles, the action is brilliant and your every screenwriting fiber screams "Go, go, go!" to reach the end of that scene. You think "I'm on a roll, I'm in the zone!" You think you can't stop now because you're worried that you won't get back into that flow. But give it a try next time you're in the middle.

When you're there, in the midst of that great scene, realize that the perfect moment to place a break has come. Then hang with the family, walk the dog, go shopping, catch a movie, enjoy a long weekend, whatever. And I guarantee you that you'll effortlessly get back into the flow. You'll be aching to continue, to finally finish that great scene. You'll be sitting down after your break - and you'll be smack back in the middle of the scene and it'll scream "Go!" ... and you'll be perfectly charged to oblige.