Goodreads asked Erma I Talamante:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Erma I Talamante I start a new project. I make run into a block on a story I'm on, but I must say, I'm never at a block for projects - ask anyone who really knows me... I always have at least a half-dozen things that I am actively working on.

Reading. Writing. Painting. Mechanical. Baking. Sewing. Research. Even just taking a drive to the local second-hand to poke around.

I find that when you get stuck, distracting your brain frees it up. Sometimes thinking about one thing for too long and too hard, you just need a break. I'll work on something else until the next part presents itself, and then have something nearby to scribble down your idea - I often use my kids' defunct iPhone's notepad feature. So handy, and since it syncs with iCloud on my computer, I can email those thoughts to myself, or open it later at home.

Writing doesn't just have to be the pen-to-paper or fingers-to-keys method - it's also about plotting, planning, and figuring out the big picture. Sometime you just have to step back to see it all.

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