Curing Writer’s Block: Implications of Multiple Identity Literary Theory, which holds that writers have and use a normal version of multiple personality.

What is blocked in writer’s block? That which normally goes on in the writer’s mind: a cooperative participation of the writer’s alternate personalities.

Thus, when writer’s block does occur, writers who are familiar with their alternate personalities will know with whom to discuss the problem.

There are two ways to communicate with alternate personalities: talking and writing. When writers talk with their characters, narrators, muses, and other voices, they are talking with their alternate personalities. When writers keep extensive journals, and sometimes find entries responding to their inquiries, expressing alternate views (which, if handwritten, may be in different handwritings), those mysterious entries are from their alternate personalities.

The cooperative participation of alternate personalities might be blocked by anything that causes, in the view of the alternate personality, a hostile work environment. For example, if a particular alternate personality is facilitated by a moderate blood-alcohol level or a mild depression, they may be blocked by excessive drinking or severe depression. Or an alternate personality might have artistic differences, and want to publish independently, under a pseudonym.

Since the possible kinds of complaints are infinite, it is best to ask your alternate personalities what is bothering them. If you think you have spoken to all your alternate personalities, but still have writer’s block, you may have alternate personalities whom you have not yet met. You may, in the words of Walt Whitman, contain multitudes.