I remember John Ringo doing a blog about how the past few years he has been engaging with his fans, enjoying the interaction, having a steady income..and as such, he hasn't been retreating to his basement to write. He made the point of "I'm in a happier place now then I've ever been, so I'm not escaping from the world..and my writing is suffering."
He half joked that he'd have to stop talking to fans, and figure out what makes him unhappy so he could go back to actually working.