After thirteen novels, one hundred op-eds and book reviews, and several screenplays, I feel comfortable assuring you that a case of writer's block that lasts longer than two weeks has little or nothing to do with writing and a great deal to do with whatever sturm und drang is going on in your life or psyche.

Those first two weeks, though, a block can be a productive period. Sometimes your non-conscious mind needs time to alter the outline of your work or create a new character or even rewrite the conclusion you'd been so sure of. Then it will tap your consciousness on its shoulder and say, "Hey, I have some revisions."

On the other hand, if you're in your third week of a mindless computer games or rewatching Season 1 of Dexter, it’s pretty clear you have issues. Here are some ways to get out of the clutches of the old-time-wasting devil.

• Get help. Talk to a therapist, a wise and benevolent friend, or your rabbi (in the literal or metaphoric sense)
   
• Writing is a job. You have to go to work regularly or the work simply will not get done. If you're working full-time, set aside a couple of weeknights and part of the weekend in which to work. Otherwise, you should be working at least five days a week for at least two to three hours. Remember this: if you didn't show up for work, you'd be fired. If you don't show up for your writing work, you lose, too. You won't be a writer. 
   
• Many writers find it impossible to resist the siren call of the Internet. Therefore, turn off your wireless. Set specific times to check your e-mail and did not look at it until those times. If the computer is still exerting too great a pull on your mind or heart, turn it off, grab a notebook and pen, and go write in another room or at the public library. I would avoid Starbucks: you'll waste too much energy on trying to look like a writer to actually do much good writing.

If you're stuck for beginning sentence or a line of dialogue, say it out loud. Translating thought into speech works wonders. I don't know why, but it somehow focuses the brain. There's a reason why so many people find talk therapy and the rite of confession so efficacious. 

Well, I wasn't so young when I got this advice, but it works. My friend, the author Patricia Volk, suggested a great way to get back into your work groove and the mood of the piece you’re writing.  Start each session by reading over what you wrote the day before.