For the most part I’m able to avoid distractions on the Internet.

Though every now and again, Twitter, Deadspin, and Youtube rear their ugly head. I know there are tricks like turning off the wifi as well as apps that block distracting websites.

I was looking at what my options were. The first thing I came across was the Astrohaus Freewrite. It’s essentially a smart typewriter. It has not Internet connection and an e-ink display. which would make it easier to use outside. At first glance, it seemed like the perfect solution. But the $500 dollar price tag was a little steep.

For cheaper alternative, my first thought was to get a cheap laptop and turn it into a dedicated writing machine.

With a little more thought, the solution revealed itself.

What did I need exactly? I wanted something affordable as well as portable. It needed to be something that I could take anywhere, even outside. So something that didn’t need to be charged was a bonus.

Does this sound familiar to you? Because I kicked myself for not doing it sooner. I needed old fashioned pen and paper.

I love handwriting, and fountain pens, but the most I did with them was jotting down quick notes.

I never really hand wrote long pieces, at least not since I left school.

The solution was so simple I laughed. I was so used to typing that I didn’t even consider pens and notebooks.

I bought a dedicated notebook that I would only use for writing, instead of co-opting into a sketchbook like i do with any other bound stack of paper.

Because I like to overcomplicate things, I eschewed the 1 dollar Mead Composition notebook and bought a leather notebook, with replaceable inserts. I thought something nice would force me to use it more, and it worked.

Now, I write all of my article by hand before typing them into whatever computer program I’m using.

It’s worked wonders and my output has doubled since making the change.