Goodreads asked Marilyn Hailbronner:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Marilyn Hailbronner Writer’s block, what that means to me. Sometimes it means I can’t move forward with a story line, the plot has either no way forward or there are lots of plot options and I dither not knowing which plot line would make the most dynamic read. Or there are days when the creativity just isn’t there to tap into. I find that going out for a walk with my dog Toby is the answer for plot forward problems. We walk, him sniffing all the exciting smells, leading me along at the end of the leash, my mind is free to let thoughts come and go. By the time I get back home I usually have found a way forward, even if it is only one small part of the story.

As for the lack of creativity, just accept there will be days like that. If I feel I have to push past that. I re-read some previous chapter, pick a section and rework it adding descriptive details, immersing myself in one particular page. What can I add to the story or section I have already completed? Such as a dimly lit medieval hall in Celtic Britain? What does it feel like, smell like, what can I see and hear? This process immerses me back into the flow of the story and usually the creativity returns and the writer’s block takes its place once again in the background.

flag