A Goodreads user asked Matthew Thomas:

Hi Matthew. Would you be able to describe the inner energy source which propelled you through completing such a work? When you hit the bottom, and then even minus, of your vital energy (as is normal for all of us with a lot on) - what got you started again? Is it describable? Thank you.

Matthew Thomas Hi Dalia. Thanks for such an interesting question. I'm tempted to say it was tea that got me going when I was down, because there's more than a little truth in that statement, but a less cheeky answer is that I tried to focus on whatever task was next--the next line, the next scene. It's easy to feel down when you're writing a book, because there's so much failure built into the job, even when things are going well. And when you're down, you're especially prone to thinking about the overwhelming task ahead of you and getting lost in a haunted wood. But if you focus on smaller parts of that task, you can work your way out into a little clearing. I guess I tried to put on blinders. If you only let yourself see this one small thing in front of you, you can quiet the voice that says that this larger task is going to fail. Work patiently on a little corner, day after day, and eventually the canvas fills up. (Though without tea, I wouldn't have finished anything.)

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