They say that sometimes if you just start writing, the words come to you and you find all of a sudden you have something to write about. I have no idea who "they' is, but apparently it's kind of true -- after all I hadn't been thinking about that at all just a moment ago before I typed that first sentence. I've never been a fan of the stream-of-conscious thing. It's always irked me, in fact. James Joyce is known for quipping on the reader's task being to work much harder to understand his writing than he did to compose it (this is obviously a very rough paraphrase), and this stance strikes me as essentially arrogant. It is laziness posing as profundity, an abnegation of the author's role, and a failure of creativity. It's not that readers shouldn't have to work hard; it's that if you're going to expect someone to spend the time reading what you write, you should at least attempt to help them in that endeavor. I ask my students and my employees to bring their best effort to their work, and I feel it is fair to do so only because I require the same of myself. Working hard is both the curse and the honor of all human beings; neither readers nor writers should exclude themselves from this, no matter if you are f-ing James Joyce. Language is tricky and too easily misunderstood all on its own; it doesn't need your help in this respect. Understanding another's thoughts is always a battle; this fact is no excuse to disengage from the struggle involved in the articulation of one's thoughts. Shouldn't both parties be bringing their best to the field?

If you're having trouble following my thoughts here, do not fret. I think this only proves my points:
1. You're struggling here because I am as well -- there is equity in the effort.
2. The stream-of-consciousness thing is overrated.