My best method for overcoming writer's block is simply to write something else until the problem that's causing the block resolves itself. Writer's block generally happens for me when I'm not clear on what I want to write. Sometimes, the plot isn't working out or maybe the character isn't as solid in my mind as I need him to be. I trust the writing process to disclose what I need to know, but I've learned I can't stare it into submission. It's more like gently approaching a skittish animal from another angle. When I gain clarity, the writing falls into place.

Traditional writing prompts are not helpful to me, but the routine and muscle memory of the writing process is. When I follow a set routine and write every day, my process kicks in and gets me going again.

The piece of advice I've always remembered when my work seemed to hit a wall of one kind or another was from Michael Seidman. He said, "Every piece of well written prose eventually finds a publisher." The key here, of course, is "well written prose." His point was to control what we can control and the rest would take care of itself.