The few people in the field who seem to consistently succeed, turning out papers year after year, in fact fail as often as anyone else.
Crucial to success is making your research part of your everyday life.
The Researcher's Bible by Alan Bundy, Ben du Boulay, Jim Howe, and Gordon Plotkin Highlights:
The way out of this vicious circle is to realise that research ability does not depend on some magic essence. It is a skill which can be learnt, like any other.