Ha ha. Thanks, Lydia! :O)

So true, Mindy. And yes, that usually works for me too. Though in this case I had to repeat the stepping away ad nauseam before it finally came through for me! :O)

Ha ha. Yes, banish the boogeyman! Oh no! Four posts is quite a lot! So glad the fifth one broke through for you. You just never know how long it’s going to take. I guess the key is to have faith you WILL eventually figure it out!

I have heard that from other writers too, Sue, that the pandemic hit them in unexpected ways in terms of their creativity. I’m glad you were able to work through it!

Yes, exactly, Angela. That’s how I felt! Oh no, I’m blocked. Must mean I’m doing something wrong! Love what you said about creativity not being a “constantly flowing tap.” We expect that, don’t we? But the muse doesn’t quite work that way! Some problems are harder to solve, as you say. Thanks again for hosting me here and the great work you and Becca do for writers!

Oh I totally get what you were saying, Leigh. Yes, it’s a different way of looking at it. And yes, it does help to see it as something that is “normal” and to be expected. (As I said, calling it something else can be comforting as it does help you look at it differently.) But for so long I heard that there “is no such thing as writer’s block” that it made me feel like something was wrong with me if I was experiencing it. I thought your post was a good example of how we can hear those messages, perhaps even when that’s not what the messenger meant! I think your post was a great on on the topic, and I loved what you said about writer’s block stretching you as a writer.

Thanks for including my link about writer’s block in your post. It does seem a bit that you’ve maybe taken it out of context.

You quote me and then add: “That’s why I say there’s no such thing as writer’s block because it’s part of the writing process.” Oh. So it is writer’s block. You’re just calling it something else.”

What I’m suggesting is a mindset shift, and there is something very powerful in choosing the way we view the things that challenge us. My work with writers is based on neuroscience and using how the brain works to change happens.

The words we use have a powerful effect on mood and action. Even more so for writers, right?

And again, thanks for the mention.

These are great tips for encouraging a way past this point to get words flowing again – thank you!