Goodreads
Goodreads asked Michael Raleigh:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Michael Raleigh I've worked long and hard on this. My first strategy is always to have something to switch to if I'm having trouble with a story. This can mean working on a completely different manuscript -- I actually do this fairly often. Or, it can mean simply moving on to a later scene in the troublesome book, or an earlier scene that needs revision.

Early on, when I was still new at this and my writing time was limited by the demands of a house full of children and a full-time teaching job, I developed the habit of going out for walks and thinking about a scene I wanted to work on the next time I got a chance to write. Sometimes this meant actually composing a scene in my head, including dialogue. It worked for me, and I still do that from time to time.

I've also borrowed one of Hemingway's stratagems: he would sometimes quit in the middle of a scene, so that the next day, when he sat down (or stood, I guess, since he frequently wrote standing up) and started the day's work, he would have something ready to work on.

I do all of these things and as a result, I'm never really troubled anymore by the sort of writer's block that drove me crazy years ago.

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more