Getting Over The Hump

I am no great writer by any means. But I like to think I have worked hard to enhance whatever skills I do have to make myself better at it. Here is something I have learned.
One of the most important things to learn how to do as a writer is to know what works for you to get over the hump. For each individual writer that will be different, although most writers use basically the same set of tools to do that. In any case, the key is to figure out what works best for you.
No matter how good you are, you are always going to hit a roadblock on some project. If you know what to do when that comes, you can get over that hump faster and easier. I learn everyday what works best for me and am constantly searching for others.
Here are a few of mine.

-Listen to music that reminds you of emotions and situations you are writing about. 

-Watch TV shows and movies that also do that.

-Work on a completely different project to totally take you away from what you were stuck with. Then go back fresh.

- do the dishes, mow the lawn,  etc. Some menial chore that you enjoy enough but allows your mind to wander. I get a lot of great stuff by just doing this sort of thing.

-Just lie down on the couch or bed. Do nothing. Just your thoughts. Total quiet. Don't write. Just let your mind go. It will come.

-Go for a long walk. Keep your eyes and mind open. Don't write anything down. If you can't remember it, it isn't worth using.  If you forget it, which can and will happen, it will come back to you if it was worth using. Personal experience tells me it always goes this way.

-try to remember why you started the project you did and if you got way off track on some tangent that seemed interesting but has diverted you from your initial motivation or concept. Maybe it sounded good, but now you aren't interested because your original idea was better.  

-call a friend. Chat about anything. Maybe bring up the project and see what they say. They might ignite something you are missing.

-Ask questions. Always ask questions. Question your plot. Your characters. Your ending. Keep asking questions, getting answers and then asking more questions until you get more material to work with.  


What are some of yours?