Ludwig Börne

Börne wrote, and I wish I knew where, For three successive days force yourself to write without denaturalizing or hypocrisy everything that crosses your mind. Write what you think of yourself, your wives, Goethe, the Turkish war, the Last Judgment, your superiors and you will be stupefied to see how many new thoughts have poured forth. That is what constitutes the art of becoming an original writer in three days.

A word to the wise, as William S Burroughs would say and it seems as if Emmanuel Carrère took it to heart.