Goodreads asked Kelly Carey:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Kelly Carey I find that one of the best ways to deal with writer’s block is to move on to a new project. Usually, if I can’t find the right way to revise a problematic manuscript or tease the story out of a kernel of inspiration, it’s best to put that manuscript aside for a week or two and pick up a different one.

Of course this only works if you have some ideas and manuscripts on standby that can jump in during an emergency. That’s why I jot down ideas all the time. I’m always grateful to have those backup stories to work on. I pop ideas into a note on my phone the minute they come to me and then I transfer them over to a computer file titled “story ideas”. I love being able to lean into those files when I feel stuck.

Another great resource to fight through writer’s block is a critique group. If you really want to bust through a blocked moment with a manuscript and the thought of putting it aside for a few days seems tragic, I reach out to my critique partners for help. Often they offer up just the right piece of advice or ask the perfect question to reset a blocked moment.

And if none of this works – I call it a day and go grab a good book to read or go do laundry. There is always an abundance of both in my house!

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