Terrifying thought, isn't it? It has been known to happen to all writers. I'm not talking about writer's block, nothing as severe as Stephen King's character, Mike Noonan, in Bag of Bones where he turns on the computer and actually throws himself from the screen (okay, it may not be a computer, been years since I read that book, but I'm sure those who've read it know the scene). Nothing that bad. Yet the time will come when the muse (sexy goddess of words) will decide to take a day off.

Now this day off, will most likely be your day to write, a date set aside in your leather bound diary; the wife and family are off to the beach, you've carried your laptop up to the attic, given the attic key to a trustworthy neighbor and they've locked you in. Ain't no escape from that glowing screen.

If you have followed Laymon's rules of writing (list of eight available at HWA website) and you paid strict attention to rule number 3, paragraph titled: A few helpful hints... section number 5, where he suggests to follow Hemingway's advice: Stop at a point where you still know what's coming next, so the next day's writing can start up easily. Then it's most likely, that this article is not for you.

But....

It can happen, any time, anywhere - even locked in the attic with huge spiders slowly crawling towards you, venom seeping from their fangs - it can happen. And it can seriously mess with your day.

Here's some solutions I've heard other writers say, with some general comments by yours truly:

1) Go for a walk. || While this is good for your health, it will kill your writing time, and maybe you'll lose a few bucks, on something you just gotta have, while walking past that Used Goods shop.

2) Do something else. || Why? Sure you'll get busy painting the ceiling or what-have-you, but little writing is going to get done. But what the hell, the muse is on vacation, right? Wrong.

3) Read a book. || Now I'm all for reading, but there's a time and a place and it isn't when you are meant to be molesting the muse in the hopes of a few good pages.

4) Work on a different writing project. || Hello? I doubt the words are going to come, just because you start something new. (Now, before everyone starts jumping on my back, and offering my neck to the spider's fangs - this has been known to work for some people and not others, generally speaking though, in my case this has never worked).

5) Give up. Take a day off. || Okay, cool. Remember you are in a locked attic with only a chair, table and your laptop (let's not forget the spiders), what are you going to do? Have a battle? Spiders are fast and can move and right angles, they jump and they are ugly little ..... urgh.

That's about all I can remember hearing. Of course there is number six. My personal favorite, and it never fails.

6) Slug away at it. || Simple right? Keep hacking at those keys, write whatever comes to mind, forget the story and if this or that fits, 'cause it most likely won't. An example: Not long ago I was writing a short story for an anthology, something was missing - I couldn't work it out. The muse had decided it was holiday season and with such a beautiful day, she'd nipped out for some sun and fun (most likely with that male muse from down the street!). I was abandoned, in a mysterious, cold, blood and sex filled world and I had no idea what to do.

So I took my own advice. Number six. I slugged away. You see, I love to write, I love to take people away into a little world of my making and instill hope, love and kindness, before the madness starts.

For six hours I slugged away before the muse returned (with a nice tan and new handbag) and she said, "Cut paragraph seven. Put paragraph three after six, seven after nine and open with eleven."

"Okay," I said happily.

"Now, change this sentence to..."

What I'm getting at here is this: If I hadn't slugged away and sworn and cursed everything from my computer to my coffee cup, these words would not have been here in the first place. If I had followed advice 1 - 5, the mood for writing would have gone. The muse would have returned and we'd be sitting on the sofa watching re-runs of the Adam's Family thinking: Darn, today was a good day for writing, I should've just kept at it.

That's my take on the situation. Maybe you agree - maybe you don't, but one thing is for sure... Writing in an attic is not a good idea.

One last thing before I leave to you the mercy of the muse: Be careful of that purple-eyed spider on the back of your chair.