Goodreads asked J.E. Erickson:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

J.E. Erickson It depends on the source of the blockage for me. I think most writer's block comes from places of self-doubt, lack of preparation, and not feeling like you're asking the right questions of your characters. At least for me it's these things.

What I do is just freewrite. I have a document that exists solely for me to smear word vomit upon. I kill characters, give them their deepest desires, change them in some fundamental way -- anything I can do to discover who they are in a little more depth. It's all stream of consciousness, no subject too taboo, not worried about editing content. It's helped put me in a workable headspace, as well as generate ideas and characters for other stories.

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