Copy out the first thirty pages of an obscure 19th-century French novel and then carry on with your own text. Later, go back and rewrite the first thirty pages. Tolstoy tried this with Anna Karenina and it worked.
—Andrew Cockburn
When I have trouble writing, I step outside my studio into the garden
and pull weeds until my mind clears—I find weeding to be the best
therapy there is for writer’s block.
—Irving Stone
I’ve never been blocked, but there are times when the words won’t come. When I feel dried up I deal myself a few games of solitaire at my desk. I’ve been doing it all my life. Sometimes I play 10 or 20 games,
sometimes 40. Once, I played for three straight days. The important thing is not to leave the workplace.
—Richard Condon
Never rely on shopping as a cure for writer’s block and/or depression.
It’s not a good escape but a trap that clutters up your life with possessions that require attention and care.
—Janet AND Isaac Asimov