Focus app for writers
Focus app for writers: protect your writing sessions
Free forever for 5 sites · or try Pro free for 14 days
The short answer
The best focus software for a writer who keeps opening Reddit is one that blocks it for the whole session and can't be switched off from the writing desk. Talysman blocks the sites and apps you drift to on Windows, macOS and Linux, and ending a session early needs a paired USB key — which you leave in another room before you start.
The stuck paragraph
- Stuck
Third rewrite of the same paragraph. You open a tab.
- Blocked
Reddit's block page. You open Talysman to end the session.
- The key
“Insert your key to turn off the blocker.” It's in the kitchen.
- Unstuck
Not worth the walk. You stare at the paragraph instead, and then you fix it.
A writing-session setup
Do research first
Collect sources before the session. Writing time is for writing.
Block your three sites
Reddit, the news, whatever yours is. Or use allow-only mode: everything blocked except the reference site you need.
Pick a length you'll keep
Ninety minutes is a good start. Schedule it for the same time each day with Pro.
Leave the key somewhere else
The kitchen, the car. You want getting out to take a walk.
Frequently asked questions
What if I need to look something up?
Note it and look it up after the session, or allow the one reference site you need.
Does it block Reddit in every browser?
Yes, at the network level. See blocking Reddit while working.
Will it work with Scrivener, Word or Obsidian?
Yes. Apps are only blocked if you add them to the list.
Write the next chapter with the key in the kitchen
Free with any USB drive. No card.
Start focusing freeFree forever, no card. Want schedules and app blocking? Try Pro free for 14 days.