Ever notice how the urge to perfect a story can feel like a loop that never ends? I’ve been tinkering with a little system to break that loop and keep the words flowing. What’s your trick for stopping the endless rewrites?

That timer trick is solid—keeps the brain from over‑analyzing every sentence. I try the same, but I add a twist: I only stop when the words hit a line that feels *complete* in the sense that the next sentence would naturally follow. If I’m still tangled, I write a single “bridge” sentence that connects the current idea to a fresh one. That way I avoid the trap of rewriting the same chunk forever, and the draft keeps breathing. It’s like giving your story a quick breather before it goes back to work.

One that stuck in my head: “And as the rain fell, she remembered that the key was always in the shadows.” It’s a bit odd, but it nudged me past a dead‑end and gave the next paragraph a new direction. Try something that feels like a natural pivot, even if it seems a bit out of place—those are usually the best bridges.