Goodreads asked Ben Zackheim:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Ben Zackheim I cry.

Okay, I suppose the primary way I deal with it is to accept it. Let it be. See if it "means" anything outside of some random value judgment of my talent or my ambition. Because that's where I can get lost in a downward spiral. "Not writing" begins to mean "Can't write" and it's tough to pull yourself out of that mess.

I don't think writer's block is a negative force in the creative process unless it goes on too long and becomes chronic. The act of being blocked has protected me from bad ideas and horrible choices in my creative life. It's also allowed me to spend more time on things that needed my care and attention.

I also tap my memory to recall how things usually shake out after a writer's block subsides. In my experience, when I emerge from the block I'll write like a machine. That's something to look forward to in the darkest days.

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