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I've been writing "fansongs" - sorta. I take the characters & conflicts from a book or movie I like, and write a song as if it's my life, with no names from the original canon - so there's no connection. It really helps me for the times when I don't want to write about my break-up YET AGAIN, you know? lol.

Example: Moon Song

I couldn't guess the story it was based on.

Sounds like a great approach. I sometimes write from the perspective of a persona. It's basically role playing, trying to write from the perspective and style of the person I choose. It can be an effective way to deal with writers block.

Hi,

sometimes I go back to unfinished work, try to rekindle a spark.

Never surrender, inspiration will come.

steve

Approaches I've used for inspiration...

Other people's stories
quotes I hear
Feelings
TV show titles
Song templates
greeting cards
Overheard phrases
Hear a song and write a new song about the same topic or from a different perspective
kids ~ they say the darndest things!
google images

..then you could write why inspiration is stucked in a traffic jam or why it fell into the water off a cruise ship.

I always write from the heart. That way its genuine, not fake, or fabricated in a quick manner with no real meaning behind the song (although songs with meaning don't seem to sell all that well, if much at all these days). Sometimes I'll come up with a riff subconsciously or a lead lick (I really trust my ears as to what flows fluid and what lacks a solid connection in the soundscape) but that's just me. I let creativity come on its own terms, I don't ever force it I'm inspired by my goal to inspire others and help others through times of heartache (so songs about darker subjects, sometimes about death or wanting the pain to be taken away).