For anyone who has ever put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, we have encountered a pesky nemesis called Writer’s Block. I like to capitalize the W and B in Writer’s Block because it is a persona … an alter ego within the soul of an author. As an author, we are conditioned to believe that Writer’s Block is an office mate that we must learn to tolerate. So we live with Writer’s Block, commiserate with Writer’s Block, curse Writer’s Block, stare at the greenish-glow of the computer screen with Writer’s Block, drink coffee with Writer’s Block, procrastinate with Writer’s Block, and pray for the moment when we can smirk with glee when Writer’s Block takes a vacation or, better yet, packs its bags and moves to a new town.

Knowing that Writer’s Block is usually lurking around a dark corner, what can an aspiring or seasoned author do to escape its clutches?  As a newly published author myself who tried to befriend Writer’s Block, I was given just one, simple piece of advice that singularly impacted my ability to work around, through, above and beyond Writer’s Block. What was that scrumptious morsel of wisdom? Write.

Sorry for the anti-climactic answer. But it is true … when you are suffocating in the grip of Writer’s Block, simply put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard and write, write, write.  Write whatever comes to mind, even if it is your shopping list. You may believe that you are writing nonsense, incomplete thoughts, and rambling sentences; however, the goal to working out of the clutches of Writer’s Block is to go through the physical process of writing and not worry about the quality. It is one of those rare moments when quantity over quality prevails. And when you do this, you are subtly telling yourself that you are a writer; and in fact, and that moment, you are technically writing. You may later return to your writing and toss out much of what you created; however, you may also find sentences, paragraphs, concepts, characters and entire plots that are brilliant, yet buried underneath the rubble caused by Writer’s Block. By engaging in this rote process of writing, you will open the dam of your creative juices and they will begin to flow where they were once stagnant.

So when Writer’s Block pays me a visit and I feel like my creativity has taken a 180-day luxury cruise around the world, my first instinct may be to follow Lady Gaga and “Just Dance”, but the best path is to simply “Just Write”.

For those of you who are animal lovers, check out my website and blog at www.alliephillips.com and my “You Can Do More for Animals” Facebook page.

Allie Phillips is an author, attorney and advocate for protecting vulnerable victims (particularly children and animals) and promoting human-animal interactions. Allie is a nationally-recognized expert, trainer, author and media commentator on issues involving animals and human-animal interactions. She has conducted over 150 trainings nationally and has authored over 45 publications on these topics. Her first book, How Shelter Pets are Brokered for Experimentation: Understanding Pound Seizure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010), tackles the secretive concept of pound seizure and shelters that provide homeless, abused and unwanted cats and dogs for research. Her next book entitled Defending the Defenseless: How to Become an Animal Advocate is due out in summer 2011. Allie is licensed to practice law in Michigan and Maryland and spent over 8 years as a prosecuting attorney in Michigan. Subsequently she was a Senior Attorney with the National District Attorneys Association and then employed with American Humane Association as the Vice President of Human-Animal Strategic Initiatives and Vice President of Public Policy. In addition to working on legislation to protect children and animals, she founded Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS)® Program and Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)™ Program. Ms. Phillips has a long history of helping animals, including being the co-founder of Friends of Ingham County Animal Shelter (a nonprofit animal rescue organization in Michigan), the Vice President of No Paws Left Behind (an organization to help animal victims in the recession), volunteering with King Street Cats, a council board member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Animal Law Section, and a member of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Animal Cruelty Advisory Board where she assists with creating training curriculums for prosecutors.

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