Breaking the block

Advice on overcoming writers' block from romantic-comedy screenwriter, Billy Mernit.

Sometimes in my bleakest moments what I want to tell a writer who says he's got writer's block is, hey, who held a gun to your head and said, go be a writer? Hey, if you're having such a hard time of it, and you just can't write...

Stop. Give it up. Don't do it anymore. If it hurts, why bother? Like, do we need another writer? In this town?! Please - study medicine, join the peace corp, find something useful to do with yourself - more writing gigs for the rest of us, man, you'll be doing us a favor.