Writing as Obsessive-Compulsiveness

'Writing is an obsessive/compulsive disorder, not unlike excessive hand-washing or tooth-grinding. I cannot help myself. And so, yes, I do try to write each day, and when things go well, I fulfill that goal. In fact, my ideal days are those when I am not teaching or travelling to promote books but rather ensconced in the mountains or behind my desk at home with a project before me, whether it be a story or novel. To enter the flow of a work and feel it coming to fruition is a real joy, but, of course, a joy one cannot hope to experience every day.'
Novelist T. Coraghessan Boyle, in an interview with the excellent British bookzine Bookmunch