Goodreads
Goodreads asked David Grant Urban:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

David Grant Urban I don't. Hemingway passed along one method for avoiding it: stop writing before you completely finish a scene. The next day you can just pick up where you left off: you'll know where you are going. This is a very effective method for keeping the juice flowing. But when that fails, I just take a break and let the subconscious well refill. I never write when I feel stale. Some writers keep a steady schedule no matter what, and it works for them. But not me. I'll write 36 hours at a stretch, then lay off a few days, or even a few weeks. Steinbeck once commented how intimidating it is to sit down and think: I have to produce 300 pages of manuscript. His answer to that challenge was: one page a day. One page a day and in a year you have a book. That can be effective too, breaking things down to small chunks. But generally, I try not to fight the creative impulse: if it's there, I write. If not, I do something else. I know deep down my mind is working on things and ideas will surface eventually. I just wish they didn't surface so often at three in the morning...

More Answered Questions

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more