Goodreads asked Sylvester Olson:

How do you get inspired to write?

Sylvester Olson It's impossible to write without reading. Writing without reading is like playing soccer without having eaten for a day: no matter how hard you try, you're simply not going have the energy, coordination, or mental focus to play well, and you'll probably collapse in the middle of the game.

I try to read for an hour or two before I pick up the pen. If I haven't read for a while (because of work or personal life demands), I may spend several days reading for hours and hours before I pick up the pen at all.

To stay motivated while writing, I typically write in coffee houses. I do this because of the environment. Writing can truly be lonely, but you don't want your written language processes to be interrupted, either. At a coffee house, you can still be around people for hours on end, but none of 'em are gonna bug ya.

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