i have to agree that sleep deprivation has helped write some of my best stories

you are right on that one

I write the best at about 5:00 in the morning for some reason. I think it has to do with sleeping off the stress of the day before and it is so damn early that I haven't been able to get stressed by the current day. That i my biggest challenge, I am a total worry wart so i have to find ways to escape that

damn it, writer's block sucks

Also, I like research. I find researching stories that haven't been told in many years are good ways to find something unique. Like, I'll research a lot of lesser known Greek mythologies and also I find my vampire encyclopedia is very useful for good ideas. Because I can study old, ancient cultures and their folklore and myths. I find these are great ways to tell something new or maybe retell something very old. This is how Bram Stoker created "Dracula" from Vlad the Impaler; he studied folklore and history and created something unique.