I built a Mac app called BlockWriter. It’s open source, stores everything locally, and does one thing really well: when you start a session, it blocks every other application on your computer until the timer runs out. No notifications. No dock. No force quit. Just a blank page and a clock.
I think writing will be one of the most important skills of the AI era. Of course, AI can write brilliantly well and save us time, but writing on your own without any AI help is thinking, and sharp, clear thinking will be increasingly important as AI takes over more and more of our cognitive tasks. Writing is one of the few reliable ways to make sure you are flexing your thinking muscle, and BlockWriter allows you to do that in a completely focused way with zero distractions.
What it does
Pick 5, 15, 25, or 60 minutes. Hit start. The app goes fullscreen and other applications stop being reachable until the timer ends.
No accounts. No emails. No AI. No analytics. The code is on GitHub. I don’t want a relationship with the user; I want them to forget the app exists thirty seconds after they hit start.
What I’ve gotten out of it
I started using it the day the first build worked, and the change has been bigger than I expected.
It’s the most reliable focus mechanism I’ve ever used. The sessions are also addictive in a good way. I look forward to them the way I look forward to a long run. The constraint is the entire point.
I’m now confident enough in it that I’m writing this post inside it.
Try it
Mac only for now. Three sessions free, $15 lifetime after that.
Tell me what breaks. I’m using it every day, so I’m fixing things constantly.