Hunger

Looking at cake can suddenly whet a person's hunger for food.

    I've been thinking a bit about hunger lately. Not the hunger for food, but the kind of hunger that refers to the will.
    The hunger a person has when they really, really want to do something. It's a craving, a passion . . . though not an obsession (but maybe hunger is a little involved with that).
    It's good--it's necessary--to have a nice measure of hunger for things like wisdom, truth, and peace. And when you're a writer, it's also important to have a good amount of hunger for the act and craft of writing. Agreed?
    It contributes to the excitement of the craft, hunger. Yearning for the time and focus to just sit down, press keys, enjoy the moment, and shape words into a narrative of a whole other world full of totally different people (or animals, or creatures, or whatever beings the writer prefers to write about). It's an inspirational feeling.
    Sometimes I don't feel much of a hunger for writing though--which stinks, but I guess it's also part of being a writer. Having dry spells, lacking hunger. On some occasions, I feel like I have to wait a while before getting super excited about writing again; but other times, things that I actually do can whet my appetite again. Sometimes just writing without any particular plan in mind, listening to the inaudible voice of a character, can spark interest and excitement.
    Hunger's a pretty interesting thing to consider, I think. A writer's instinct that can be prompted (occasionally) but not controlled. What are your thoughts on the matter? :)