John Nicholas Datesh
I don't know that I've ever had writer's block. I say this even though there were 30 years between my The Moscow Tape and The Girl in the Coyote Coat.
I began the latter in 1979 as The Real Estate Novel but never felt blocked so much as distracted by other things and people.
One thing did help me when I was stalled by several characters objecting to the plot of The Body in the Bog was saying, "Screw you, you prima donnas, I have something better to do," i.e., reworking a wordy screenplay called The Last Three Minutes into a novel. That really got me going and the momentum carried over to resuming The Body in the Bog.
Also, try editing what you have already written, or just reading it. That should get you back into the story.
If you are blocked at the very beginning, just write a scene from the middle of the story or even the ending. You'll end up tossing it, most likely, but you transform the ideas in you head into words on the page.
I began the latter in 1979 as The Real Estate Novel but never felt blocked so much as distracted by other things and people.
One thing did help me when I was stalled by several characters objecting to the plot of The Body in the Bog was saying, "Screw you, you prima donnas, I have something better to do," i.e., reworking a wordy screenplay called The Last Three Minutes into a novel. That really got me going and the momentum carried over to resuming The Body in the Bog.
Also, try editing what you have already written, or just reading it. That should get you back into the story.
If you are blocked at the very beginning, just write a scene from the middle of the story or even the ending. You'll end up tossing it, most likely, but you transform the ideas in you head into words on the page.
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