Goodreads asked Robert Michael:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Robert Michael When I read the phrase "writer's block," I see that as possessive. I own the block. It is my responsibility. Although I believe in the creative muse, I also believe writing is a function of imagination. I am convinced that if my imagination is not working, then I am dead.

Overcoming writer's block, then, becomes a matter of unburdening the less imaginative side of my brain. It's not necessarily a function of finding a focus. It's more the opposite. I have to let go of the details of things that interfere with my connection to my imagination, my creative side.

I also feel that succumbing to writer's block is a way to shut down any mechanical constructions that may inhibit a true creative output. What I mean by that psychobabble is that sometimes when writers impose a word count, a firm outline, or any other device that "forces" production of words without a true conduit to the flow of the imagination, it can become more of a dam. Writer's block, then, can be a defensive mechanism, providing the writer with the warning signs he or she may need in order to make a correction. It can also be a sign of lack of desire to write, or just plain laziness. :)

One technique that I have found useful in overcoming writer's block is immersing myself in the consumption of creative products: music, books, movies, theater, art. Time spent being a consumer rather than a producer helps my mind connect better to the natural flow.

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