I find that the best way to overcome writer's block is a good night's sleep. Good writing demands focus and energy, and that can be tough to summon when you're too tired. This is why I write best in the morning.

I read widely. I think it's important to feed your mind a lot of material, some of it random, and let your subconscious start digesting it.

The most valuable advice I ever received about writing was from my freshman English instructor at Stanford, Professor Nancy Packer. She told the class "Writing is like anything else: if you practice, you'll get better." That simple statement liberated me, and I began to practice.