Question for Mr. Chiang

Mr. Chiang,

In your interview with Jeremy Smith, you said that you do not write more stories because your ideas only come occasionally. This leads me to several questions. Where do you get your ideas and do you have to be in a certain mindset to be able to write a compelling story? Do you use writing as a release or more as a hobby? Your stories seem so complex, so I would imagine that your ideas are usually slow developing. I enjoy writing as well, but I usually use it to convey emotions or relieve stress. I have attempted to write short stories before but my thoughts just end up turning into scatter-brained garbage, so I would like to gain a better understanding into the process of short story writing.

-Jose