Explore routines.

Find a poem hidden in a page of newsprint by blacking out every other word. About 40 minutes.

1. Choose a page
2. Skim · 5 minutes
3. Circle · 15 minutes
4. Black out · 15 minutes
5. Title it

Turn an unfamiliar sample into something new, with a strict limit of 4 tracks. About 1 hour. Constraints force creative decisions.

1. Dig · 10 minutes
2. Chop · 15 minutes
3. Build · 25 minutes
4. Bounce

Turn last night's dream into the seed of a story. Start within minutes of waking, before it fades.

1. Capture · 5 minutes
2. Underline the images · 3 minutes
3. Pick one
4. What if it were real? · 15 minutes
5. File it

Three 25-minute sprints for when the house finally goes quiet, for 3 rounds. Before you start, reread only the last paragraph you wrote. Nothing more, or you'll start editing.

1. Sprint · 25 minutes
2. Log your words
3. Break · 5 minutes

Repeats for 3 rounds

A complete short story draft of 2,000–3,000 words in one sitting, about 2 hours. You'll write it straight through. Finished beats perfect.

1. Premise
2. Freewrite the character · 10 minutes
3. Sketch five beats · 10 minutes
4. Draft the first half · 30 minutes
5. Break · 5 minutes
6. Draft the second half · 30 minutes
7. Finish

Three focused passes that turn rough documentation into docs people can follow. About 1 hour. Each pass looks for one kind of problem only.

1. Prepare
2. Accuracy pass · 20 minutes
3. Break · 5 minutes
4. Clarity pass · 15 minutes
5. Scannability pass · 10 minutes
6. Final checks

Write the README for a project before writing any code, to find out what you're actually building. About 45 minutes.

1. Set up
2. What it is · 5 minutes
3. Usage examples · 15 minutes
4. Installation · 5 minutes
5. Limitations and non-goals · 5 minutes
6. Review