1. My favorite part of the writing process would be the little surprises that pop up. No matter how much outlining and planning I do, I love when a new character will introduce himself and demand to be included in the story. I've found this character smacks me on the head to point out the subplot I didn't realize I had set up.

2. When things go wrong and I need to mull it over to figure out what and where, I tend to take a short break from what I am writing and dive back into Tolkien's works. Nothing inspires me more than his writing. After pulling myself out of Middle-Earth I can often return to my writing and see clearly where I've gone wrong.