Winter Blahs.

Here it is January - a brand new year - and while most writers I know are full of enthusiastic resolutions to write more consistently and more often, I am floundering. I can't seem to get past the blank screen looming in my brain like a relic from a drive-in movie theater. Eeek!

There are two words for this: writer's block. I guess nearly every writer goes through it some time. This is a first for me. Somehow, I've always been able to work through my writing gaps but this time it's lasting far too long. Maybe the consistent cold and stretch of gray, wintry skies are paralyzing me. At any rate, it worries me. I know it will pass. Eventually. I hope it will pass. In the meantime, what's a writer to do?

Here are some things I've been occupying myself with in place of writing: running, drawing, cleaning out the attic, browsing the web, reading, doing the NY Times crossword puzzle, playing online Scrabble, cleaning out my closet. All good ways to pass the time but none involve writing. They won't help me get where I want to go.

This afternoon I reread my WIP and added two sentences to an abandoned chapter. Maybe this signals the beginning of the end of my case of writer's block. I hope so. Tonight I'm going to look at it again and maybe add a couple more sentences. Perhaps I'll finish the whole damn chapter and then move on to the next one.

What do you do when you're stuck? Anybody have any useful suggestions. If so, please, share them. I beg you.