A 90-minute block for writing, with a train carriage, after a difficult conversation

1 Before you start

• Go to the toilet first. It sounds trivial until you are mid-sentence.
• Remind yourself that you are allowed to produce something mediocre in the first pass.
• Take one slow breath before you press start, so the session has a beginning.
• Let go of the version of this task you imagined doing perfectly.
• Decide what counts as done for this block. "Two pages" is better than "make progress".

2 While the timer runs

• It is fine to stare at the wall for a minute. That is often where the answer is.
• If nothing is working, write badly on purpose for two minutes.
• When you catch yourself re-reading the same sentence, stop and write down what you were looking for.
• Notice whether you are working or performing work. They look similar from the outside.

3 When it ends

• Resist the urge to review the work straight away. Come back to it later with fresh eyes.
• Say the session is finished, out loud if you can. It marks the boundary.
• Write down the question you could not answer, so it has somewhere to live.

4What to put on

a train carriage — Rhythmic, low, and slightly rumbly. Many people find the motion-and-noise combination easier to work to than silence.