Goodreads asked Selene Grace Silver:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Selene Grace Silver I don't have writer's block often--but it's usually triggered by fear of failure. The best cure I've found is to read a book I love. I think about the courage the writer had to put those words and sentences down on paper and then share them with readers. After all, it's easy to find fault with someone's work because writing well is difficult, even for practiced, experienced writers. They had to have suffered fear of failure too, but they persevered.

Language is messy, unruly. It's like trying to line up a bunch of writhing, wiggly snakes and keep them in place. It's impossible to do it perfectly. I think about Jean Giraudoux's quote: "Only the mediocre are always at their best." So I try to be brave. Fear that one is writing a disaster-in-the-making is an inevitable aspect of the process. I try to remember that and just keep writing.

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