Absolutely yes. There are times when I feel like I've hit the Hoover Dam of writer's block. I usually deal with it by walking away and doing something completely unrelated. Often I play a video game or some other distraction and that usually that does it.
All the time. One of my favorite quotes from the Tim O'Brien book The Things They Carried, is "you take your material where you find it, which is in your life." That has stuck with me ever since I read it years ago. So yes many instances in the book really happened, at least in part.
I certainly think a good cover can catch the attention of a reader. People can be very visual and anything that grabs attention is a good thing. As far as a title goes I think if its catchy at first glance that's great, but the work itself needs to support the title. If the title says one thing but the writings pulls in a different direction then, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Being a teacher most of my recognition comes from my students and former students. The support they've given me is inspirational and I appreciate them more than I can say. When it comes to complete strangers recognizing me it's really odd because I am by nature a quiet person, though most of my students would not believe me. I was at a baseball game a few days ago and was approached by a fan and I seriously thought at first they were talking to someone else. It is great to know that someone likes something I've written and I'm very grateful to anyone who wants to say hello.
