50-minute focus block for writing — vinyl crackle, when you want to be left alone

1 Before you start

• Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
• Promise yourself you will not check anything until the timer ends, including "just quickly".
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
• Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
• Have a piece of paper beside you for the thoughts that will try to interrupt.

2 While the timer runs

• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• If you are suddenly sleepy, stand up for ten seconds and sit back down.
• If the task suddenly feels impossible, make it smaller rather than stopping. One paragraph. One function. One row.
• When you have drifted for the fifth time, that is still four returns. Keep going.

3 When it ends

• Roll your shoulders and your neck before the next block.
• If it went badly, note one thing that worked anyway. There is usually one.
• Have a drink of water before you check anything.

4What to put on

vinyl crackle — A thin layer of surface noise over nothing much. Just enough texture to stop the room feeling empty.