1. Quickly, without thought, pick a book off the bookshelf. Let your eyes go vague so you can't read any titles and just grab a book.

2. Open to a random page and put your finger down on a sentence. Again, do this quickly and without thinking.

3. Write that one or two sentences as the epigraph at the top of the page.

4. Now, for 10 full minutes, W R I T E. Don't think about it; just do it. Let the words flow out of you. And most importantly, DO NOT STOP WRITING. You must write NONSTOP for 10 minutes. You'll begin by trying to use the theme or subject or images presented in the epigraph, but you should be writing so furiously (freewriting) that your mind will jump from one subject to another, with no apparent connection. That's a good thing; let it happen.

For instance, maybe the sentence you've chosen reads: "There is no mark on the wall to measure the precise height of women." And so, you begin speed-writing about women through history and their accomplishments, and then that turns more personal, say, about your aunt Melody, music director at the local high school, and that gives way to writing about your favorite '80s band, which gives way to Reaganomics, which gives way to the price of tea in China. It's all good. Just DON'T STOP WRITING.

If you violate this rule, then... Then go flog yourself, the likes of Silas in "The Da Vinci Code" (which is a "Da Vinci Load," by the way, but that's another story). And if you don't have the guts to flog yourself, then I'll come over and do it for ya. But let's not have that happen. Just keep writing for 10 full minutes, and all will be well.

5. When your 10 minutes are up, leave that piece of writing alone for a bit; let it breathe. Go and have a cup o' joe or watch a movie or have a swim. Focus your mind elsewhere.

6. When you do return to the piece, you'll put your mind in "clean up" mode. You'll make your little revisions and edits, fine-tuning the piece, fixing this spelling error, that comma splice, tayloring it, if you wish, to follow more clearly from the starting point (the epitaph).

7. Share your writing with your fellow Xombees. Post it, and let us see what you've come up with. No need to be embarrassed about your writing. This is just an exercise. None of it will be great, but all will be read-worthy.