I’ve been making the insane regular commute to NYC pretty regularly lately and make small talk with quite a few folks. I’ve met a few writers and really enjoy speaking with them about what they do—and how they do it. The writing process just fascinates me. For everyone like me who likes to plan things out as far as possible, there are others who need the pressure of a deadline to get cracking. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

It does seem as if most writers out there have their own final stretch. I call mine the book bunker and I am firmly in it now. I’ve been here a few times before and I enjoy its singularity of purpose. Everything else needs to play second fiddle. I’ll work fewer billable hours for my clients, respond to email less frequently, blog and tweet less, and even play less Scrabble.

Simon Says

At least for me, writing has a certain momentum. When working on The New Small, I struggled early on because I couldn’t find the right title. Some would say that that’s putting the cart before the horse, but I need a title and even a cover in order to tie everything together—or at least try. In the book bunker, using the work momentum doesn’t even come close. It’s more about obsession.

Do you have any tips or habits for crossing the finish line?