Earlier this Halloween week, in Part I of this article, I shared several ideas for beating back the Writer’s Block Demon. Let’s look at a few more.

• Cut your writing task down to size.

Sometimes you may feel that your writing assignment is so overwhelming that you just freeze up. It seems like a big, tangled mess that you simply cannot bring yourself to tackle. Well, it may sound like a cliché, but if you zero in on smaller parts of the piece you are writing, you can break it down into manageable chunks. And if you list them all and cross off each one as you accomplish it, you can track your progress.

Set up milestones for yourself and celebrate when you reach them—with a little reward for a job well done, such as a favorite snack or a special outing. For example, you may set your goal at a certain number of pages per day, or a few paragraphs on a subtopic or two. As you begin to reach more milestones, your small bits and pieces will fit together into larger components that increasingly resemble your envisioned final product.

• Listen to yourself.

Sometimes people shut down when it comes to writing, yet are very free and easy with their speech. That can be a real strength! Since your writing should sound as conversational as possible, if you have a gift for sounding good in person, you are already halfway there.

My clients often know exactly how to say something orally, but that knowledge gets lost somehow in the writing process. I ask them to tell me what they are trying to say, and we just jot down their exact words. Give it a try yourself and don’t forget to go back with the eye of an editor and pull out the juiciest and more important pieces of information, word images, stories, stylistic turns, and the like.

• Use word association.

Brainstorm just a few central words about your topic. Then write down whatever comes to mind when you think of those words one by one. Just let your mind go wherever the words take it. Give yourself permission to think without boundaries, requirements, or stipulations. If you want, add arrows to show how each word relates to the next word or phrase. Got an artistic bent? Include some drawings to represent your ideas.

You will probably end up with a long list of places you might go with your piece. Try to map out or group related ideas, and you will eventually have a solid outline.

• Know that your first draft should not be perfect.

In fact, if your first draft is perfect, you are probably doing something extremely wrong. Yes, you read that correctly! If you think the first stab at your document is the best it will ever be and should be framed in gold, think again.

A very common reason for writer’s block is the fear that you will not get it right the first time. I am here to tell you that professional writers never produce fine-tuned, flowing pieces the first (or second) time around. This is exactly why your word processor’s editing functions were invented!

• Meet up with a writing buddy.

Writing can be a lonely business, but it doesn’t have to be that way. It is much more fun and often more productive to be accountable to someone else who is also in the writing game. That could be a coworker, a friend, a partner—anyone. Even if that person is not writing something that is anything like what you are writing, or is on a different schedule, having that mutual connection and focus will help. If you are the competitive type, you may find that you and a buddy can spur each other on to see who can write more in a single session. Or, just seeing another writer work on her/his craft beside you might motivate you.

• If all else fails: take a break.

Don’t waste time trying to come up with brilliant ideas if they are just not flowing. Get a healthy snack, go out for some exercise, read a book (unrelated to your work), play with a stress ball, or take a nap. You might also want to try some deep breathing, meditation, or stretching.

You will be amazed at the things you can fix after your mind has had time to rest. You will be fresher when you return to your writing, and may even have a new perspective or insight.

And remember…No matter what happens between you and the Writer’s Block Demon, don’t give up! Trust that in time you will find your most effective ways of coming out victorious. Have faith that the world is waiting to hear from you. And you would not want to disappoint.