[jd]

The most obvious reason is that pg writes an essay when he has an idea or an insight he wants to think and write about. New insights don't arrive on a fixed schedule.

If pg had been posting every month the HN thread would read: "Ask HN: is it just me or has the quality of Paul Graham's writing gone down?"

[coldtea]

>The most obvious reason is that pg writes an essay when he has an idea or an insight he wants to think and write about. New insights don't arrive on a fixed schedule.

And yet, they did somehow, for several years.

Not to mention insights are not like some divine illumination. You can get them and shape by the actual process of writing down your thoughts on a matter.

>If pg had been posting every month the HN thread would read: "Ask HN: is it just me or has the quality of Paul Graham's writing gone down?"

Well, it's not like it has not, either. Last 4-5 years are nothing like the essays circa Hackers and Painters era.

[lifeisstillgood]

Inspiration is in my view more like earthquakes then a continual shower - you need to wander around looking at the world and asking why is it like that? Eventually the pressure builds and builds and suddenly you know - and have to write about it. The first ideas out the door are the most powerful - I guess the comments about free and wild animals and entrepreneurs are just aftershocks.

The quake can release an awful lot of ideas that you can work through all at once or one at a time. But eventually the quake runs out of power and another must build up

Which basically all means "Be careful what you ask for" - another quake and we won't be able to stop him posting them.

[presty]

maybe he had more time 5 years ago.. you know, with YC just starting and what not..