Writing - is it addictive?

Stephen King believes in being habitual. In his book, On Writing, he describes how there are few days that go by without him sitting down and writing 2,000 words - unless he's run over by a truck of course! But what may work for him, may not work for everyone. Sure, he's probably the most famous writer this side of the planet Neptune, and he has sold a gazillion books, so I guess copying him might be a good idea. But I've tried it, and it didn't work for me. Stephen King is now in a place where he has the luxury of blotting out the world and cranking out 2,000 words a day. But for the rest of us mere mortals, this is not always possible. 

Since January 1st 2012, I have averaged a little over 1,200 words a day. And now, while my 2nd Scott Adler book is in the process of being edited, I've decided to take a break from writing for a while. Some days during these past few months, I didn't write a word, but others, I was able to crank out 3-4,000 words in a single day. Sickness, looking after the girls, rugby, and a dozen other things prevented me from sticking to the King routine. 

It would appear then, that while Stephen King is habitual by nature, consuming a set amount of words a day, I'm more of a binge writer. And this two month break, trying to catch up on projects around the house, is more akin to drying out and staying sober for a while.

But alas, like most people who do something on a regular basis, good or bad, it is habit forming. And like any addict I find myself drawn to the keyboard like an alcoholic to the bottle. So here I find myself, hands covered in paint and putty, feeling the need to crank out a few hundred words, just to take the edge off. My thirst quenched, I now head back to the honey-do list and sobriety.