There’s a certain bravado in exams. You prepare as best you can and then you go in and make claims, stake claims, get something down. Time and expectations are blunted by the format. You’re alive with the energy of the exam–proving something about what you know but not proving everything about who you are. It’s bracing, not breaking. This is a terrific way to approach your writing.

I have a list now, four single-spaced pages long, of changes to make to my book. If I troll for inspiration or absolutely clear intention, I’ll be waiting for a long time. Instead, I need to create exam conditions–a time (limit), a place (focused)–and drive on through to the other side.