Goodreads asked Jamie Dickey:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Jamie Dickey Writer's block is a serious issue. Sometimes thoughts & ideas flow like a river and other days it is like that river gets dammed up. I find writer's block occurs more in the winter months. Yes, SAD or seasonal affected disorder, is real. More light actually means more light! Caffeine is not a panacea, but it helps. Sometimes, a break is in order to rethink things in a different way. Reading a lot is important for an author because it shows different techniques used by other writers.

There are more than 1000 ways to tell a story. If you gave 1000 writers an assignment of creating a short story with a paragraph of mandatory subjects & issues, you would get 1000 different stories. eg, Main character has to be a vampire. Now the writer must decide if he is a hero, anti-hero, villain, or something else altogether. There is a split. Authors go various ways. How old is this vampire? Each decides on something different. Same way as where he comes from and what are his experiences. The vampire must live in a castle. But where? Does the castle have electricity and good plumbing, or is it all old-school? Where is the castle located? What do the locals think of this place? Are they scared to go there, or does our vampire receive many guests? The vampire must have a pet. Well, is it a dog, bird, or fish, or perhaps a favoured human? And has the human been turned? Is the pet confined, or allowed to roam the castle freely? Can the pet venture outside the castle? Everyday, or only on special days? Detail is the author's best friend and gives a narrative depth. Weaving historical facts or theories into your story is encouraged and gives your tale a whole new dimension. And, is our vampire religious, superstitious, or a man of science? Mixing religion, the occult, pagan ideas, and science to your fictional account automatically adds depth. The vampire must have a personal, moral or ethical issue. Another million possibilities and turns in the road. Anne Rice does this by making Lestat a dog lover that cries too much. Pandora is tougher, but academic. She is more morally aware than Lestat and will kill only if absolutely necessary for her survival. And Marius is the vampire of reason that loathes the high-profile & cavalier Lestat. Marius is constantly thinking of consequences, not only to himself, but his vampire peers. Lestat lets the chips fall where they may. Detail provides depth. Plug in assorted issues, subjects, emotions, and ways of thinking to make your chronicle different. Decisions made by your character tell the reader much about them. Did they have time to reflect on this decision, or was it forced upon them? Were they in their right state of mind when they made the decision, or under stress or coercion? Did the decision seem important at the time? Was it made consciously or unconsciously? Adding psychology to your tale brings more depth. Does the atmosphere of the time & place affect your character's decision-making process? Atmosphere is a necessary story ingredient and influences characters, sometimes without them realizing it. Explore other literary devices you can employ into your book. Many of these are simple and easy to do. Others like subtext take more thought and skill. A salesman will say "location, location, location" and this applies to a good read, too! Select interesting and diverse locals for your book. Have your characters stumble upon these places, or led there by random chance, the chaos factor, or destiny itself. Thus, the myriad of detail overcomes writer's block.

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