Focus session · writing · 90 min
90-minute focus block for writing — a fireplace, when the house is busy
A timer, a short prep list, and 90 minutes to get words down.
90:00
Press start. The timer keeps time so you do not have to look at a clock.
Let the first out-breath be longer than the in-breath. Nothing dramatic, just longer. It works with other people in the house. You do not need silence. We'll go through it in order, without much decoration.
1 Before you start
- Clear the surface in front of you down to the thing you are working on.
- Give yourself permission to stop when the timer ends, even mid-sentence.
- Close every tab that is not needed for this one task. Not minimised — closed.
- Decide in advance that a bad sentence is still progress.
- Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".
2 While the timer runs
- When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
- If a thought will not leave, give it one line on the page and return to the task.
- If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
- It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
3 When it ends
- Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.
- Stand up and move for at least two minutes. The break is part of the method, not a reward.
- Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
4What to put on
a fireplace — Crackles and a low roar underneath. Warm, irregular, and undemanding.
This page is a tool, not a course. Nothing is tracked, nothing is saved, and nobody is told whether you finished.