King isn't merely saying that professionals are more disciplined—he's exposing a peculiar myth that inspiration is a prerequisite rather than a byproduct. The real sting lies in that word "just": getting to work isn't noble heroism, it's actually the simpler path, the one that paradoxically produces the very inspiration amateurs are waiting for. A musician who sits down to practice for an hour almost always finds her fingers wanting to keep going; the blank page doesn't unlock until you've already begun filling it.