There are ways to overcome writer's block, but I'd never learned them because it was new to me. Although my case was brief and mild, it was alarming. Here are some methods that worked.
Don't get hung up on perfection. It's an unattainable outcome anyway, especially with first drafts, so I just kept writing — on other things, in other ways. I started a second blog (this one) and focused on generating content for both blogs. I noted "breaking news" developments for my other book projects, and kept up with my journal, and when ideas for scene fixes emerged, I jotted those down (so my manuscript wasn't completely abandoned).
Change writing routines (temporarily). My best work session's always been 5 to 7 AM at the computer, but on weekdays I started dragging my notebooks to a coffee shop that opens before dawn — and I wrote some scenes, longhand. It also helped, somehow, to change the music I listened to: my characters age 20-25 years, so if the scene I was working on was set in the 1950s, I'd listen to chart-toppers from that era.
Understand where you are. In reviewing my current manuscript, it became clear — no wonder I felt blocked: the death of my friend coincided with one of the toughest scenes in the story (the lead character experiences a traumatic event). While the magnitude is very different, it reminded me of those weeks in September 2001 when daily life had to continue but all one could think about was what had happened on 9/11.
So I tried tackling other scenes, ones that were less emotionally freighted.
It also helps to realize different goals: in drafting my last book, I set a goal for 1,200 words/day, but this current story is harder to write. I've set a higher bar, so now I'm aiming for 500-800 words/day. As Hemingway said, "Write hard and clear about what hurts," and this one hurts a lot.
Stay active and creative in other ways. My "day job" involves a lot of design and marketing thought, so I was able to feel productive in this regard. Other writers I know maintain hobbies that require creative effort — making collages, sewing, gardening, composing music. Creativity is an interdisciplinary act, so everything helps. Longer walks meant more endorphins too.
Read, read, read. Generally I keep one fiction and one non-fiction book on my bedside table, the latter being a research source for another story project. But given the block, I just submitted to reading novels as an escape from my own thoughts, and it helped to look at authors I'd never tried before. I learned that sometimes, to come out of writer's block, you just have to give yourself permission to not write, and not worry about not writing.
Write in shorter bursts. I spent one excruciating Saturday writing for 15-20 minutes, then reading a new novel for an hour. Then I'd write for another 15-20, and read for another hour. By day's end, I still got writing done (800 words, 2 hours' worth) but in my self-flagellation it never occurred to me I'd stumbled across a good tactic. I'd written it off as indication of my faltering work ethic. Not so. If a two-hour writing stint feels daunting, don't sweat it. Just get it done in shorter segments.
The bottom line: Never quit. Don't give up. I knew that, of course, but nothing like a few rough days to remind you it remains absolutely true. You gain nothing by quitting. Accepting these remedies also gave me space to grieve for my lost friend, and that has helped most of all, because he of all people wouldn't have wanted me to give it up.
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