Why do we do it?

Minx and Maht (M&M?) have been talking about their writing process.
And Fiction Bitch tagged me a while back on a similar subject.

I'm trying to write, dammit - and it seems to me that writing about how I write is not what I should be focusing on right now ...

So instead, I'll direct you here where you can see some people's responses once they've achieved the holy grail of a book deal.

Here's a little taster ...

'And even before the potential post-publication humiliation, there’s deadline pressure; crippling self-doubt; diets of Entenmann’s pastries and black coffee; self-made cubicles structured with piles of books, papers and unpaid bills; night-owl tendencies; failed relationships; unanswered phone calls; weight gain; poverty; and, of course, exhaustion.'