I find that I need two things to work: a problem, and a deadline. The "problem" being a creative issue that needs to be resolved, like "write a polka with lyrics about somebody's pink hat." The deadline being, say, Friday in time to practice it for Uncle Stash's wedding.

It would be great to get up each and every morning, do some Tai Chi, make a pot of green tea, then sit in the sunroom and write ten pages before 11am, but I finally figured out that that's never gonna happen.

After being a "professional creative" for many years, the only thing that squeezes the juice is pressure, so what I do is promise things to people, then scrambling to get them done--