Goodreads asked Saloma Miller Furlong:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Saloma Miller Furlong I have experienced both what I call temporary writer's block and long-term writer's block. The temporary kind is basically my mind needing a rest from writing, and as I do other things, I think about how to approach the next scene or chapter in my writing. My best time for doing so is when I am falling asleep at night or waking in the morning. By the time I sit down to write again, I have worked through the writer's block and my thoughts again flow out onto the screen or paper.

Long-term writer's block is different. About three years after leaving the Amish, there was one period in my life when I could not write. It was not until after I had gone through several years of intensive therapy that I could resume writing. So writer's block for me is an indication that I need to work through something emotionally.

Even through my writer's block, I still kept a journal. So I would also say that writer's block has to do with fear of criticism from my audience. Journal writing is safe, and so it was a way for me to continue the craft, without facing a public audience.

Now that I have two books out there and have received both negative and positive comments on my writing, I realize that not everyone will like my writing. That's okay, because I don't like every book I pick up, either. And so I trust that my writing will reach the people who will benefit from it, and I let the rest go.

flag