Some people use a pen and paper for no distractions; some people are kitted out with full tech and multi-task their way to a word count.

There is an alternative. I heard about the alphasmart devices a long time ago, but never made the jump: favouring the Write Or Die app instead when I’m really up against a deadline. However I’ve just been reminded of the Neo keyboard. What do you think? It’s a simple typing device, no wifi, 700 hours of battery life, auto saves, USB to PC or Mac or straight to a printer. All this minimalism forces the write to keep going forward, as rereading over your work is tricky with such a small screen.

Perfect for some people though! Consider it. About £160 – bargain.

Consider it.