Goodreads asked Thomas Hunt:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Thomas Hunt I think this may be much more of an issue for fiction writers. I don't know much about that (yet).

Through years of non-fiction writing and journalism, I'm not sure I ever have experienced a "block." Thinking things through is a huge part of the writing process. Sometimes you reach a point where your planning isn't what it needs to be to get you from where you are to where you want to go. You could continue to write - reporters on deadline tend to just plow through such things. But, if you aren't on a deadline, continuing to type at that moment is probably not as useful as looking back over your plan or outline, checking your source materials, reorienting yourself to the task or possibly taking a few moments just to clear your head.

I suppose that may seem like a "block," because it doesn't immediately put words on the page. But it is critical to producing a coherent and effective work and should be respected as part of the process.

flag