"For a lot of guys, seducing and having sex with a woman symbolizes an exemption from process," says Barry Michels, writer's-block therapist.  “Sex is almost like magic—I’m there, I’ve made it. It’s the ultimate accomplishment, especially for a writer. They spend all their time alone. They usually have little—I mean we all do—feelings of inferiority. That’s going to cure it all in one fell swoop. We used [Reversal of Desire] not only to get him to write and face the pain of not seducing women but also to understand pain better, because one of the criticisms of his writing was that his characters weren’t deep enough. He couldn’t quite connect to their pain, because he was avoiding his own.”
From http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/03/21/110321fa_fact_goodyear#ixzz1HO1v4KNv