is taking a piece of writing you admire, preferably in book form, rip the cover and binding apart, then put it on a typing stand and transcribe it word for word.

It allows you to forget about your own designs and get your fingers moving [which I think is actually the best cure for writer’s block], and enter into the world and style of thinking of something you admire. You will quickly come to understand flow and construction, and best of all, the sheer joy of composition, even if not your own.

If you’re obsessive, you might copy a whole short story or novella, or at least significant portions of a work. If you last long enough, you’ll get a sense of beginning, middle and end, or at least the feeling for what a piece feels like whole.

Best of all, your subconscious mind will have been resting and observing during the exercise, and be ready to provide you with the entry into the work you’ve been puzzling over. It may not be an open door, but it will at least be a window into your own world that you can sneak into before your conscious mind stops you from getting started, again.