--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I tend to work most often from the method…" description: "\"I tend to work most often from the method of ignoring any ritualistic writing for long periods of time, and then I'll spend three straight weeks writin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/kevin-keck-25114_compulsion_i-tend-to-work-most-often-from-the-metho_3118270.jpg" --- # I tend to work most often from the method of ignoring any… ![“I tend to work most often from the method of ignoring any ritualistic writing for long periods of time, and then I'll spend three straight weeks writing for 12 hours a day and just going through the motions with my worldly business because the compulsion to write descends upon me like a kind of…” quote by Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/kevin-keck-25114_compulsion_i-tend-to-work-most-often-from-the-metho_3118270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/kevin-keck-25114_compulsion_i-tend-to-work-most-often-from-the-metho_3118270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/kevin-keck-25114_compulsion_i-tend-to-work-most-often-from-the-metho_3118270.jpg) > “I tend to work most often from the method of ignoring any ritualistic writing for long periods of time, and then I'll spend three straight weeks writing for 12 hours a day and just going through the motions with my worldly business because the compulsion to write descends upon me like a kind of madness. I don't mean to be dramatic, but it feels that way when it strikes.” [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author works in intense bursts after long periods of inactivity, experiencing a compulsive, almost manic drive to write. **In simple terms:** Writing comes in sudden, intense periods after quiet phases. Key Takeaway Accept and plan for creative cycles. Themes creativity discipline work habits Mood introspective practical Type creative motivational When to use this quote - writing sprints - project planning - mental health management - deadline setting Key Concepts flow state creative compulsion productivity cycles Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your writing bursts? - How do you sustain balance after a sprint? A Different Perspective Such intensity can lead to burnout or neglect of other responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compulsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsion/) [Compulsion Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsion-write-2411560/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long periods of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-periods-of-time/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Ritualistic Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritualistic-writing-4749484/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Weeks Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weeks-writing-1470526/) [Worldly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldly/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-long/) ## Related quotes > [“Here I've been telling him things in my head for weeks, writing long, frenzied missives to him I know I'll never send, and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-gehrman/here-i-ve-been-telling-him-things-in-my-head-for-weeks-writing-long/) [Jody Gehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-gehrman/) > [I think if you have the compulsion to write, you're not going to feel whole until you start putting words on paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kelly/i-think-if-you-have-the-compulsion-to-write-you-re-not-going-to-feel/) [Lee Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kelly/) > [I think I'm a very lazy writer and by that I mean that I do not battle, I don't struggle too hard against it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-think-i-m-a-very-lazy-writer-and-by-that-i-mean-that-i-do-not/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [I'm not ritualistic about writing. I try to write as often as possible, which means that I have to be able to write in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-not-ritualistic-about-writing-i-try-to-write-as-often-as-possible/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I think I would spend the first 30 weeks not writing, just clearing my head and seeing parts of the world I haven't seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/i-think-i-would-spend-the-first-30-weeks-not-writing-just-clearing-my/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [If you read the biographies of people who have written good books, you often see the point where they suddenly come into themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/if-you-read-the-biographies-of-people-who-have-written-good-books-you/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [Some weeks there's no writing, and some weeks are full of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-packer/some-weeks-there-s-no-writing-and-some-weeks-are-full-of-writing/) [Ann Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-packer/) > [To me, writing is fun. It doesn't matter what you're writing, as long as you can tell a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/to-me-writing-is-fun-it-doesn-t-matter-what-you-re-writing-as-long-as/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [“When my sons asked the reason for my trip, I said that I needed to conduct research for my book. What is it about?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/when-my-sons-asked-the-reason-for-my-trip-i-said-that-i-needed-to/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Is that how it goes with writing? That as long as you are writing, no time is ever completely in the past? Is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyung-sook-shin/is-that-how-it-goes-with-writing-that-as-long-as-you-are-writing-no/) [Kyung-Sook Shin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyung-sook-shin/) > [I am strangely addicted to the writing of long letters, which, I am afraid, tire you; and for the future, I believe, I must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-collyer/i-am-strangely-addicted-to-the-writing-of-long-letters-which-i-am/) [Mary Collyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-collyer/) > [I like to joke that I started writing long poems out the anxiety over ending and starting poems. It just seemed easier to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-hawthorne-deming/i-like-to-joke-that-i-started-writing-long-poems-out-the-anxiety-over/) [Alison Hawthorne Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-hawthorne-deming/) > [Writing a long and substantial book is like having a friend and companion at your side, to whom you can always turn for comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/writing-a-long-and-substantial-book-is-like-having-a-friend-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Writing a long essay is probably the most complex constructive act that most human beings areever expected to perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-bereiter/writing-a-long-essay-is-probably-the-most-complex-constructive-act/) [Carl Bereiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-bereiter/) > [I'll probably be writing as long as I'm breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/i-ll-probably-be-writing-as-long-as-i-m-breathing/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) ## More by Kevin Keck > [Energy seems to be the more critical of those two variables, because if I'm really feeling the push/pull to write, then I'll make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/energy-seems-to-be-the-more-critical-of-those-two-variables-because/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [What I need to write is a complicated equation. Maybe if I knew I'd be one of those writers, one of the steady ones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/what-i-need-to-write-is-a-complicated-equation-maybe-if-i-knew-i-d-be/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [Of course, I don't mean to imply that all writers are working in the deep waters that border on the divine. Most writers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/of-course-i-don-t-mean-to-imply-that-all-writers-are-working-in-the/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [If you're trying to convey a crucial emotional truth, you have to be in total control of the emotional pacing of the story, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/if-you-re-trying-to-convey-a-crucial-emotional-truth-you-have-to-be/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [In some sense that was a blessing, because it forced me to focus on prose. I feel my narrative voice in prose is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/in-some-sense-that-was-a-blessing-because-it-forced-me-to-focus-on/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [As I've picked up more responsibilities in life, I've found nearly every one of those extra burdens drains me in a way that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/as-i-ve-picked-up-more-responsibilities-in-life-i-ve-found-nearly/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [That being said, if you slept with me and are filled with shame at the possibility of the world knowing, then you should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/that-being-said-if-you-slept-with-me-and-are-filled-with-shame-at-the/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [As a writer, I was deliberately creating an alternate world, and then populating it with experiences and people that I knew in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/as-a-writer-i-was-deliberately-creating-an-alternate-world-and-then/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [I've always been a fan of comedy, and I understood from a young age that what makes most comedy work is the immediacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-comedy-and-i-understood-from-a-young-age/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [I didn't write poems for a number of years after graduate school because the criticisms of other students in the workshops wouldn't quiet down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/i-didn-t-write-poems-for-a-number-of-years-after-graduate-school/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [It all depends on what I'm working on and if there is a deadline involved. Anything that's headed toward a magazine or newspaper is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/it-all-depends-on-what-i-m-working-on-and-if-there-is-a-deadline/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [In fact, I always assumed that most everything I read was true, to one degree or another. I couldn't articulate this fact until after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/in-fact-i-always-assumed-that-most-everything-i-read-was-true-to-one/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [Engaging with creativity in a serious way is a shamanistic activity, and by extension when you choose to follow a mystical path you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/engaging-with-creativity-in-a-serious-way-is-a-shamanistic-activity/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [At the time I was first writing the stories/essays that appear in Oedipus Wrecked, I was still under the impression that people would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/at-the-time-i-was-first-writing-the-stories-essays-that-appear-in/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [Curiously, the balance seems to come when writing is woven into every aspect of my life, like eating or exercising - one flows constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/curiously-the-balance-seems-to-come-when-writing-is-woven-into-every/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) [Explore all 23 Kevin Keck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) ## More Compulsion quotes > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [For many people it's Facebook, or sports on TV, whatever it is. I have my own demons that I battle. But whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/for-many-people-it-s-facebook-or-sports-on-tv-whatever-it-is-i-have/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/knowledge-which-is-acquired-under-compulsion-obtains-no-hold-on-the/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [I think it's in our nature to try to get beyond that next horizon. I think that when we as a species are scratching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/i-think-it-s-in-our-nature-to-try-to-get-beyond-that-next-horizon-i/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/you-develop-an-instant-global-consciousness-a-people-orientation-an/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [I found myself compelled - like this weird, shameful compulsion - to draw cute animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/i-found-myself-compelled-like-this-weird-shameful-compulsion-to-draw/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [Why am I always at war with myself? Why have I told, as if upon compulsion, what I knew all along I ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/why-am-i-always-at-war-with-myself-why-have-i-told-as-if-upon/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-true-that-the-virtues-which-are-less-esteemed-and-practiced-now/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Not merely by rules of conduct and religious observances, nor by much learning either, nor even by attainment of concentration, nor by sleeping alone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/not-merely-by-rules-of-conduct-and-religious-observances-nor-by-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I started off like everyone else does, slogging but having a compulsion to put words on paper. I didn't write or read horror or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-started-off-like-everyone-else-does-slogging-but-having-a/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I have with me two gods, Persuasion and Compulsion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/themistocles/i-have-with-me-two-gods-persuasion-and-compulsion/) [Themistocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/themistocles/) > [When you are dealing with a serious compulsion or addictive pattern, then by definition self-will, self-discipline, and any other machinations of the conscious mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-you-are-dealing-with-a-serious-compulsion-or-addictive-pattern/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Browse all 513 Compulsion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I tend to work most often from the method of ignoring any ritualistic writing for long periods of time, and then I'll spend three straight weeks writing for 12 hours a day and just going through the motions with my worldly business because the compulsion to write descends upon me like a kind of madness. 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