The person next to you may think that the epitome of brain powering is a sharp game of bridge or a rousing afternoon with a crossword puzzle. You will discover that real brain power is holding a rich idea over time as you productively obsess your novel into existence,

CHOOSE YOUR OBSESSIONS, rather than letting them choose you,

Make a list of the things you will never do in your writing space. Keep that list handy, right beside your computer. 2. Make a list of the things you will only occasionally do in your writing space. Keep that list handy, right beside your computer.

Certain productive obsessions are bound to thread their way through your life, appearing here as a theme in the novel you write, there as the destination for a family vacation, and somewhere else as membership in a group or as an impulsive purchase.

You do not want to go too long without a productive obsession in place, since that will mean that you won’t really be thinking.

Each of us has that do-nothing, watch-a-little-more-television place in our heart and that think-intensely and work-well place, but the latter is harder to engage. The life of your productive obsession depends on your constant recommitment to your ideals, intentions, and efforts.