I once heard that if a writer waits for inspiration, then that writer won't write anything at all. So, what I do, is write my way into the story, meaning that it's as much a process of discovery for me as it is for the reader. I see this as equivalent to an artist "taking a line for a walk," which is a technique of just putting the pencil on the paper, and seeing in which direction it drifts and sways.

Later in the writing process, as the story is taking a definite shape and the characters become real, the ideal state can be achieved, in which I feel that the plot unfolds and the characters sometimes say things that surprise me, and I feel as though I am just the conduit capturing this information and and writing it down as quickly as I can. When it speeds up and becomes blissfully and excitingly immersive, I almost wonder if I can write fast enough to capture it all. It's an amazing state of flow in which all else disappears, and the story forms itself, and the passage of any time at all is a complete surprise.

If you embark on anything creative, whether it's writing, music, or painting, or if you are looking for a solution for a mathematical, programming or scientific question, are you inspired straight away, or does the inspiration flow more gradually? I am a great believer in the power of the subconscious mind, and think it is coming up with creative ideas even when we are not directly aware of it. Would you agree?