I love The Gunslinger and the entire Dark Tower series. I wind up reading more nonfiction now when I have time, but would love to have the time to go back and reread that whole series.

Reading is always a wonderful motivator for writing. Experiencing genuinely skilled work always challenges me to get better. I'll never be a prolific published author, but I can write things that I enjoy reading and get a kick out of, which is its own little reward.

There's been a lot of great advice here that I'd echo without reservation. I'd always suggest changing gears whenever you hit a bind; try writing in first person if you usually write third, or inserting some poetry (or even blank verse if you're a complete masochist like Breaker ).