Here's a great anecdote from Harold Pinter, taken from a speech he made at the British Library...

[Pinter] shared some sensible, straightforward advice, given to him by legendary British producer Michael Anderson 40 years ago. He said: 'Michael had asked me to work on screenplay for the Go-Between but I called him and said "I can't start". 'He was very understanding and said "why don't you take a walk around the park?" 'So I took a walk around the park but it didn't help so I called him the next day and said "I took a walk around the park and I'm sitting here but I can't start." 'So he said "That's alright, why don't you sleep on it and have a go tomorrow." 'I slept on it but in the morning I still couldn't do it so I called him again and said: "I slept on it and I still can't start." 'He said: "Then there's only one thing for it." 'And I said: "What's that?" 'And he said: "Start." 'So I did, and it was alright after that.'

Great anecdote. Thanks for posting it.

Naomi

Yes. 'Just do it' isn't a bad motto sometimes.

Emma

That's a great anecdote and good advice too. I heard something similar once about 'if it's not flowing like it was, at least write 50 words a day. Tell yourself you mustwrite that 50, but need write no more.'

I've found that quite helpful - it's an achievable goal and keeps the story alive and focused on until your Muse wakes up.

Not much good if you have a deadline swinging over your head though

Yes but Merry, don't you think that if (in spite of the deadline) you can fool yourself into thinking you needn't write more than 50 words, you often find you can write much more? I do this when I'm cycling uphill: 'If it get's unbearable you can stop at the next tree/lamp-post.' Then I quite often find I can get to the top - or at least further than I thought.

Naomi

<Added>

sorry - fingers too active. It should be 'gets' without an apostrophe

Absolute classic. Wouldn’t expect anything less from a wizard of words. His insight is as special as his class and talent!

DS

I reckon if you stop writing for, maybe a couple of weeks or so, it's definitely harder to start again, like any sport, I always think.
Djuna Barnes said:
‘It’s getting the awful rust off the spirit that is almost insurmountable. It’s why working every day is important – one may write the most lamentable balls but in the end one has a page or two that might not otherwise have been done. Keep on writing. It’s a woman’s only hope, except for lace making.’
(and a man's except for... knitting?)
Becca.