How many of you suffer writers’ block? I’ve been asked this question many times and I can’t answer it;  I don’t have periods when I simply can’t write and I feel as though I shouldn’t admit it. I may write nothing worth keeping at times, but I still write. It’s a bit like practising a musical instrument, sometimes you soar with the melody, and sometimes you plod along just getting through it. So what are the habits that propel a writer to keep on going? The plot drives the story; of course the characters do as well and to some extent the setting, but it is the plot I have trouble with, so for me, the plot is what I have to wade through. The old tried and true “What if?” question can move me past an impasse. What if the woman approaching me form the bus stop has just robbed a bank? What if the shopping bag she carries is full of money? What if the man in front of her steps back suddenly and knocks the bag onto the pavement? And so on. And then there is the “Add a character” push. The phone rings and a new character with new needs and goals tumbles into the plot. There is also the “Make the situation worse” technique.  Julie is fired. To make it worse, her boss won’t pay her back wages. To make it worse her rent is due. To make it worse she breaks her ankle. And so on. Your poor character is subjected to increasing tension until you see a plot shimmering down some kind of path.  Do you have any hints for finding the elusive plot?