Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.

This could have been said yesterday - especially if the word 'book' is changed to 'screenplay.' But no, it's attributed to Cicero (106-43 BC) I expect he used Latin. Damn clever, those Romans.

Young Cicero reading

I won't say anything about disobedient children or even about times being bad but I do know lots of people who are writers. Real proper grown up published writers. Frustrated wannabe writers. Full-time writers. Part-time writers. Not hugely surprising really in my line of work, when all's said and done.

One thing my fellow scribes talk about A LOT is writer's block.

Don't bother to trot out that quotation that writer's block doesn't exist. That would be about the same as saying that 'the wall' doesn't exist when you're running a marathon. As a writer and as a marathon runner I can confirm that the block and the wall DO exist. Not as physical entities, of course, but sometimes it can feel very much like it.

There are loads of tips on the internet for getting over this thing called writer's block. Loads of books. There even seems to be some software.

I've just thought of a new idea. When you can't write anything else, write about how to get over writer's block.

Sheer brilliance!

Modesty: One of my many great attributes.

(You know I'm joking, don't you?)