When I write (usually long hand, I type later) I like to have one thing other than a pen and paper. For those long minutes when I actually have to stop and think between pages about what to do next I need a ball of some kind.
Usually I have a baseball or a Spaldeen, although I now also have a quaffle (thank you Wizarding World of Harry Potter). They’re just something to hold during the planning process that keeps my mind on two things rather than 1,000. I think about throwing and catching the ball, and also about what I am going to write.
When I write in public it’s not always possible to have one of my toys around, so sometimes the work goes a bit slowly. But it still goes. All you really need is a pen and paper, but it’s nice to indulge in my distraction when I can.