Writing can be hard, miserable work. There have been plenty of times in my life when I would have preferred to dig a ditch than finish the book I was working on.
No reader enjoys trying to make sense of a story that the writer is struggling with.
If you're caught in a mire, you're doing something wrong.
You need perspective, and structure gives you perspective. A structured workflow is a platform where inspiration can land. Reliably.
The right structure can accomplish anything.
I thought workflows were for people who needed to color inside the lines. They aren't. The right kind of structured workflow gives you freedom to play and be wild.