I remember, when I was in Year Eleven, a kid who was in Year Ten told me that he had an 800 word essay to do but he couldn't do it. His excuse? He'd keep repeating himself. I asked him, on the due date if he had something to submit and he said he hadn't done it. In his case, it was a defeatist attitude mixed with refusal to apply himself. I tried to tell him that he needed to do some research, while he thought it should all come from his head.

For academic writing, it has to come from research. For creative writing, however, it has to come from some research, to make it credible, and the life experiences of the writer. I mean, one reads Roald Dahl's books and can see that the inspiration for at least part of Danny The Champion Of The World comes from Dahl's own life. The same with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

To a point, writing can be seen as being like a chocolate bar. If you only have chocolate once a week, you appreciate it more than if you have it everyday. And sometimes, with writing and publishing, you get a better story or article if you publish one or two a week, than if you publish one or two a day.

Sometimes, I can be full of inspiration and can churn out two stories in a day, and sometimes, it can be a week between stories.

Quality is better than quantity.