Goodreads asked Sandra Rodriguez Barron:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Sandra Rodriguez Barron I've kept a journal since I was ten. I double back to these scribblings--the recent and the older material--and it always launches me into a writing flow within minutes. I think of writing as somewhat like the process of garment-making in ancient times, back when people had to grow the cotton or spin the silk or yarn first. You design this garment based on what you know about its texture, weight, color, etc. but you shouldn't rush to impose structure or "meaning" on something that is tender and nascent. Let it rest, let it breathe. Put it away for at least two days. I think it's that self-imposed pressure to create a finished product--lickety-split-- that causes the paralyzing stress of writer's block. I write what trickles out from within, rather than trying to force my own mind. Even in middle school now they teach the importance of pre-writing, of collecting "inventory" of thoughts long before before you actually sit down to write. This wasn't taught when I was a kid and I had to figure it out on my own.

I read a lot, and the stories, ideas, and artistry of other writers often launches me into my own flow, as if I were in conversation with them. The other thing to remember is that writers are collectors, so I gather ideas (non-fiction articles, news clips, research, poetry, etc) that resonate with, support, or augment my own themes and let it get all mixed up in the compost pile of my imagination so that it will sprout into something new. Additionally, I take notes on the process of writing and creating as I go. That way, I'm creating inventory for essays, articles, or blog posts about craft.

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