If your ideas have suddenly dried up, maybe writer's block is telling you to take it easy. You've been working too hard -- you need to take time and recharge your creative batteries. Or maybe you haven't dealt with some old hurt or anger and you need to take some time and deal with that block.

Writer's block also might be telling you project is all wrong for you. (Although be careful with last one -- writer's procrastination is a wonderful mimic and he might be trying to slip something past you.)

When I'm stuck, first thing I do is get away from computer. I take a walk, jump in shower (I get a lot of great ideas in shower) or eat some chocolate. (Some things never change.) I think about project. I review my notes. I analyze what I'm doing. And I ask myself questions. Do I have all information I need? Should I do more research? Is my approach right? Have I thought this project through enough?

Sometimes I can spot problem in a few minutes. Sometimes it takes a few days. But always, without fail, I've discovered writer's block was right. There WAS a serious problem with project. A fatal flaw in foundation -- a weakness in structure. Eventually, it would have collapsed.

And by stepping in, your writer's block stopped that from happening.

Creativity Exercises -- Make friends with writer's block

I realize this might be a scary exercise for some of you, especially if you're in throes of writer's block (and I've been there -- I know how terrifying it is) but that's all more reason to do this.

Now, when I say make friends with your writer's block, I'm not talking about inviting it to move in and existing in a permanent blocked state. What I'm talking about is a way to put writer's block in its rightful place -- where it uses its talents to help and not harm you.

Take a few moments and thank your writer's block. Thank it for all times it blocked you. Tell it you know it was trying to help you and you appreciate it.

Whatever you do, DON’T fear your writer's block. You give it too much power if you fear it. Power corrupts. You don't want to corrupt your writer's block, you want it to do its job -- helping you craft best writing pieces you can.

If you're in middle of a bad case of writer's block, try asking your writer's block what problem is. Why won't it let you start that project or what happened to your ideas? Do it as a journaling exercise or a meditation. You may be amazed at what it tells you.

Jessie, Writer/Translator – “They find clients for you.”

The toughest part of my job is trying to find people who need my services and then convince them to pay me. If you seek them out, it starts off bad because it puts them in driving seat. With Elance, I just get to sit there and wait for people to come to me.

John, Copywriter – “They reduce competition.”

The best thing for me is that competition for each job gets reduced to a reasonable level. Do you know how hard it is to win a job that’s advertised on Internet when 2000 people apply for it? On Elance, I’m often competing with just 10 other people. And with great feedback and a great proposal, I average winning about 1 in 3 projects.

Maree, Ghostwriter – “A great place to find major projects.”

I only like working on major projects. These projects are worth up to $10,000. Elance is only place where I’ve been able to find clients willing to pay this kind of money. At all other sites, I’ve only been able to find people who want an entire book ghostwritten for $100. Plus, Elance’s payment process makes it safe to complete projects worth this much money.

Do you have any advice for people considering working via Elance?

Sean, Freelance Writer – “Get great feedback.”

Every client that you work with will give you feedback. Your next clients will see that feedback and it’s a big deciding factor for them. Don’t risk your reputation by taking jobs you might not be able to complete. Even if you have to wait a while for right project to come along, wait and take projects that you know you can do. Then make sure you do everything right and get great feedback. Once you’ve done it once, your feedback will have you winning next projects a lot faster.

Angela, Proofreader – “Let work build.”

Take it slow and don’t panic. Take projects that you know you can do, and don’t rush into applying for them all just because you want work. Wait for right one to come along. Project bidding is often slow to start. But one project leads to two, two leads to four, four leads to eight and so on. Just accept slow start and let work build, learning as much as you can on way.

Ryan, Copywriter – “Don’t drop your prices.”

If you’re not winning projects, don’t panic and start dropping your prices. Keep your prices reasonable, but don’t think that a lower price will make difference. A lot of clients on Elance are looking for quality. If your price is considerably lower than everyone else’s, you stand out as cheap. And that doesn’t suggest quality.

Jessie, Writer/Translator – “See what winners are doing.”

For every project you don’t win, read through bids and see who did win it. If bid details are public, you can read exactly what their proposal said and what they charged. Then use this information to make your next bid stronger.

Ryan, Copywriter – “Winning projects is a skill and it will take time to learn it.”

Don’t assume that it’s easy. I’ve seen a lot of people sign up for one month, not win a project, quit Elance, and then tell everyone that it’s a scam. The truth is that winning projects and completing them is a skill as important as ability to write. You have to take time to learn skill.

The Conclusion

For people making good money on Elance, it is a good opportunity and fees are worth what they get in return. This suggests that Elance is at least worth a look.

The next bid of good news is that you can take a look for free. Just sign up for a free account at Elance, which they call a “Courtesy Listing.” Your profile will be able to be viewed by potential clients and you can browse through projects available. Then if you find a few projects that you think you can win, you can upgrade to a paid account. For $5 a month, you can bid for 3 projects. For $12 a month, you can bid for 80 projects. Or for $30 a month, you can bid for 120 projects.

If you think it’s worth a look, visit Elance to find out more.