The Pareto Principle (roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes: a.k.a. the 80/20 rule) is a mental model that I use for my day-to-day work. But I wonder, is it applicable to the creative aspect of writing?
For example, for the craft of writing, I firmly believe it applies: If I devote 10 hours to writing, most of my quality work will come from about 2 hours of it.
But what about a writing project’s key creative insight?
The one thing that makes a writing project special?
The flash of insight that brings everything together?
The special moment?
The—and I use this word with reservation—paradigm shift?
Perhaps there is a Pareto Principle on steroids for discovering these elements—not an 80/20 rule, but a 99/1 rule, or even a 99.9/0.1 rule?
Can this rare aspect of creativity be modeled by a ratio rule?
I doubt it.