Work on a good piece of writing proceeds on three levels: a musical one, where it is composed; an architectural one, where it is constructed; and finally, a textile one, where it is woven. ― Walter Benjamin, One Way Street And Other Writings
When I’m struggling to find words or ideas, sometimes I try to do something else that will help me make progress on the story in one way or another. For example, I’ll go to other scenes in my book and play around there, try to improve them. Or reread fully written scenes, especially ones I’m pleased with, for a little self-inspiration. I might take a paragraph I’ve already written and refine it. Or I’ll take a few pages and read them out loud to see whether the language flows and the rhythms are natural. Or sometimes I’ll do something more left-brained, like composing a synopsis of what I’ve got so far. Or try summarizing the whole book in a sentence or two, which can help you narrow down what your story is about.
It’s true that sometimes none of this works to get me going, and then I know it’s time to get out into the world to recharge. One of the great things about taking a small break is that often I’m full of ideas when I come back to writing. Apparently, our brains do a lot of work in the background while we’re resting them.