There are so many things about the writing process that I love. It doesn't feel like work when you enjoy doing it. However, there are several phenomena or "things" — if we drop the literary attitude for a brief moment — that do affect my productivity as a writer. Here they are, (in no particular order). Writer's Block The most infamous of vibe killers. Everyone experiences writer's block at some point. It is that insurmountable wall that suddenly appears out of nowhere, like

It's true that life is not all moonbeams and sunshine. It can be really hard. I am not even talking about the big scary stuff – like disease, solitude, poor living conditions, and other hardships. I am talking about normative day-to-day things in which decisions need to be made, logistics need to be arranged and contact with people who inadvertently (or not) rub you up the wrong way needs to be had. You know...the little stuff. Which one of us hasn't taken a deep breath when

Much has been said about artists producing works of creative genius despite, or even, on account of extreme states. Such states could include: – Drug-induced, like Samuel Taylor Coleridge's opium-induced writing of Kubla Khan – Physiological disorders or sicknesses, like van Gogh's tinnitus – Mental disorders, as is said of Ludwig van Beethoven, who was alleged to be bipolar. These are often said to be contributing factors to the artist's genius. They most certainly have cont

There are many ways to write: spontaneously, on demand, on schedule, on inspiration, for fun, for love, for money – or any combination of the aforementioned points. Of course, if you write when the muse hits you, there is something significant – dare I say, mystical – about the experience. Scribbled notes on used gum wrappers, a combination of lipstick and eyeliner on a coffee-house napkin – these are oddly satisfying treasures to behold. The unlocking of hidden thoughts, the