Goodreads asked Neil Low:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Neil Low Given the length and depth of my career in police work, I have lots of material to draw from for my crime stories. And since I prefer to write crime fiction, I'm in my element almost all of the time. Occasionally, though, I do get stuck with how I want to frame a scene, moving characters in and out and such. In those instances, I usually let the scene percolate for a little bit, maybe a day or two, but I try not to let it go to long. For instance, my W.I.P. involves a complicated mass murder. I led my detectives to the door where the crime occurred and then stopped, trying to imagine how I would have investigated it during my earlier years. I even took the ferry over to where the actual murders happened and tried to absorb as much from the neighborhood as I possibly could. So, by then I had a pretty good feel for the scene, but then I also called one of my friends who worked for me as a Homicide detective. He's one of the best and is still there. He's also very proud of his skill level and doesn't mind sharing a bit. So I posed these questions to him: "How would you break this scene up into manageable pieces? Where would you start first? Your next step? Then what?" Once I was sure we were on the same page I opened the door and let my detectives into the grizzly scene. I treated it just like I would a work assignment, and I didn't stop writing until my detectives got to a natural resting point. The key to this answer is that I treated my sticking point just like I would my work. I found a sounding board to make sure I was making the right moves, and then I plowed ahead. That works very well for me.

Another trick I have is that I write organically; meaning that I don't like to have a detailed plot. Instead, I like my characters to tell me what they're working on and what they need to do next. I do, however, write chapter summaries at the end of my document so that I can quickly review at a glance what I've already written, what the key points were and what might need to be done yet. Every few chapters I go back and read through these bullet points to see where I've come from and in what direction I'm headed. This also provides the benefit of allowing me to see if I missed a logical plot point that the detectives need to pursue to make the case real.

Another favorite technique I use when I'm really stymied is mediation, which I've had formal training in using. I often write in what might be considered a near alpha state, but if inspiration is not coming on its own, I can check my breathing, close my eyes, and walk myself through the meditation. When my blood pressure lowers and I get near where I want to be, then I allow myself to focus on the characters and plot--just like I'm watching a movie on the big screen. I give the characters permission to come out and play, and then when my twenty minutes are up, I jot some quick notes.

A word of caution about the alpha state: It also comes when you're sleeping or near sleeping. Your characters might come out on their own and start to play. Don't squander this opportunity. I keep a notepad by the bed, because it's almost impossible to remember all of the "good stuff" the following morning. I've also woken up at three in the morning with three or four of the next chapters clearly laid out for me. Thank goodness I was smart enough to jump out of bed, boot up the computer, and write it all out while it was fresh. Turned out to be some of my best prose.

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