1. Whilst researching ‘the next big scene’ online- you are instantly captivated by fascinating Youtube clips of twin cats singing along to Jay Z 
2. You just HAVE to watch another episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta… or any other reality show which has ZERO to do with any scientific book research
3. One of the chores you used to detest, suddenly becomes ‘the most important task in the world’.  Basically,  the toilet MUST be cleaned- TODAY and RIGHT NOW
4. You ask yourself over and over again, ‘Do my fingernails need paining?’ You sometimes answer: ‘Yes, of course they do- this cotton candy pink will look so pretty against the  keyboard…’
5. The following old faithfuls constantly appear in your head: ‘I’m just not in the mood/I have yet to really feel the characters/I just can’t visualise the storyline yet/I need to brainstorm/I must plan the story first

If all this sounds annoyingly familiar, here’s my scientifically studied remedy… Plonk yourself in front of the computer or traditional notebook (if you are one of those long-handers I secretly envy) and JUST GET ON WITH IT!!

And that’s it.

(Oh actually, you’ll also need to switch off the Wi- Fi, mobile phone(s), TV, MP3 player…)

And if you do manage to squeeze out 500 words and they only look mildly better than the musings of a five year old – never fear; ‘It’s better to edit ‘rubbish’ than a blank page.

Basically, it’s pretty impossible to edit NOTHING.