You can see him (or her) now, finding their writing space and staring into it. Nothing comes—damn it, nothing! James 
Scott Bell says, “Write a certain number of words, on a regular basis—a quota. Then, you look up at some point—three or four months, or a year—and you have a completed novel. I used to do a daily quota, but felt like I was a slave to it. So, I do a weekly quota now. If I miss a day, I can make up my weekly quota. And, I take one day off a week. That way, you become a prolific writer.”
Is he right? Yes, if you want to be a prolific writer. Some, like John Grisham, write for only 6 months at a time. For me, I need some space between novels too but, once in the writing mode, find it best to be on task on a regular basis. “Write you fool” is a good mantra to keep me going. Hearing from other authors is great motivation to keep going, keep reading, keep exploring and keep the story flowing until the keyboard melts. Then stop, edit, revise, pause, and edit again. Like athletes, writers have their own quirky preparation. Their relax, and reward their writing efforts, in different ways too. Whatever works for you, do it!
the discipline of writing
Good Judgment and Hard Work
I came across this quote during research for my new book:
“Putting a book together—really putting a book together—is a laborious, handcrafted process requiring years of experience, good judgment, and conscientious hard work” by Jonathan J. McCullough in ‘A Tale of Two Subs’.
How well put and a difficult target for any writer to aspire to. John Grisham echoes these sentiments when he talks about the discipline of his writing routine—three hours each morning, five days a week for six months. I wonder how many budding authors fail to appreciate the amount of hard work it takes to craft a novel? I am learning fast that it is a slow, painstaking process. Coffee helps!