The [writers] usually start a workday with a word, a phrase, or an image, rather than a concept or a planned composition. The work evolves on its own rather than the author's intentions, but it is always monitored by the critical eye of the writer. What is so difficult about this process is that they must keep the mind focused on two contradictory goals: not to miss the message whispered by the unconscious and at the same time force it into a suitable form.