I tried doing nonfiction the boring way and it worked before coffee

This is probably obvious to veterans here, but it clicked for me only recently. nonfiction got easier when I stopped treating every attempt like a final exam.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the routine for a while.

I had a disappointing first try, a surprisingly good second try, and then a third attempt that taught me humility. So, naturally, I now have opinions.

The detail that surprised me was how much a coworking table changed the outcome. Same plan, different setting, completely different energy.