I go through this periodically (going through it right now, actually). Usually, the solution is to take a break. Not write seriously for a month or two, maybe longer, until a story comes to mind that absolutely demands to be written. That's the advantage of writing being a hobby. I don't know how I'd make out as a full-time pro.
I'm actually kind of going through this right now. I have a good idea for a new story series, infact I have a detailed outline even ready for what I want to do. I even thought that I could add and change specific things as per the flow of how I play things out. But sadly, I'm kind of stuck now and I really want to get back to writing. I've taken a couple of weeks hiatus already and tell myself I'm going to start again, but I guess I'm still not ready and trying hard to get back but I get distracted too easily.
I even thought about getting a co-writer to help write this story but then again, the story category is a little niche and not sure if anyone else would be up for it. Guess I'll just have to soldier through and get back up on that horse.
very simply if you need to get inspired, read. It doesn't matter what you read, the imagination gets into gear and your off onto a good story of your own in no time.
I love reading as much as anyone but I don't think you need to read books to be inspired. Sometimes it has the opposite effect and you feel a bit useless.
I'm not an expert but an alternative that helped me was to keep a notebook. I keep an ugly little diary which I think is covered in some sort of fake velvet. At least I hope it's fake velvet.
I write things down in it, just a few words of what I think are interesting. They might be quotes or something funny that happened. Or even just words I like; incomplete sentences. I write definitions of words I don't know. Anyone finding it would think it was the work of a lunatic, but last Saturday I was feeling down and keen to write a story to cheer myself up. I looked in my book and I saw four words that I'd written:
'I saw myself today.'
I know why I wrote that. It was a few months ago and I'd just seen someone who looked amazingly like me and it gave me a weird out-of-body experience. But I mean there was nothing spectacular about it. Didn't even tell anyone about it. But I wrote it down.
I'm glad I did because six months later those words were the only inspiration for a 7,000-word story. I wrote it in four and a half days. It might not be very good, but I loved writing it and I'd never have done that if I hadn't jotted down those words down long ago. So yay for diaries.
I hope that helps in some way.
I had a really bad spell of this nearly two years ago and left several stories unfinished as I ran out of rails on them. I've just picked one up again but slightly changing how the last chapter ended to give me more room.
The way I deal with it, take a rest, distract yourself and think. Think your way around it, on the bus, over breakfast, at work, have a daydream and think for new inspiration. Some of the best ideas I had came out of nowhere and pow! I'm writing it down in a day or two.
When you are plodding to write 200 good words and you think it's shit. Walk away, don't push it because you will get in a rut. Don't be afraid to leave it and think of some other ideas.
If you don't write for a few weeks or months, its fine.
Finally, with anything you write, leave it a week, come back and do your edit. I find editing is great at really gumming up your brain for new writing ideas, best to get in, get it done, move on.
The only way out of writer's block is to write your way out of it. You're writing crap? Cool, write anyway. Make yourself write 300 words of crap. Lather, rinse, repeat. I guarantee that after a week, there will be a good sentence, or a good clause, or an interesting idea that pops out of all the bullshit you wrote. You build off that.
Personally, I tend to use rambling dialogue because it's fast to write, and helps you with character. And because it tends to be my strong suit (as opposed to, say, plot). So write to your strength, even if it's crap, and eventually you will string a few words together that aren't crap.
