Writing Resources – Delightfully “Wicked” Web App for Writers

« Story Ideas from Vivid Memories | BLOG HOME | Too Many Story Ideas – Coping with TMIS »

Writing Resources – Delightfully “Wicked” Web App for Writers

By Deb Gallardo

I came across a fiendishly brilliant web application today for writers of all stripes from Dr. Wicked. Whether you’re putting off working on an article, an ebook, a non-fiction book or a novel, this Write or Die! is designed to spur you on to reach whatever timed or word count writing goal you set for yourself.

No more going easy on yourself and echoing Scarlet O’Hara, “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” No, indeed. Dr. Wicked won’t let you weasel out of writing quite so readily.

You do have some control, however, specifically in the degree of “encouragement,” shall we say, that you receive from the program, and how quickly you get it.

First you set the grace period:

Forgiving - after 20 seconds of not writing you’ll get a visual cue – a colored border around the writing area that begins with a peachy-pink hue and then progresses in intensity and vividness to diabolical red until you start writing again. Highly distracting.

Strict – the timer is set to 10 seconds before the visual cue appears.

Evil – use only at your own risk, as the visual cue begins before your heart beats three or four times. You have no idea how nerve-wracking that is. Who needs that kind of pressure? I can’t create under those circumstances, but maybe you can. If so, “evil” is the grace period for you to use.

Next you set the “mode”:

Gentle – If you just need a kindly nudge to get back to writing, once the visual cue turns to bright red you’ll get a nagging pop-up message. It “encourages” you to get back to writing and repeats itself every 20 seconds. If you like your train of thought interrupted so that you have to click OK every 20 seconds, pick this mode. It’s the least stringent.

Normal – If you need a kick in the seat of the pants, after the visual cue maxes out you’ll hear a truly annoying song that keeps playing until you start writing again. I know that I would personally do just about anything to avoid having to endure even a few seconds of listening to that song. Aargh!

Kamikaze – If you’re really a tough nut to crack, kamikaze mode is the one for you. After the visual cue, the program begins erasing what you’ve just written, one word at a time, starting at the end. Now THAT’S motivation to keep writing!

The final decision you need to make before you begin is

1) If you want to write for a given time period (from 10 minutes to 2 hours) or
2) If you want to write until you’ve reached a certain word count (0 to 1,000,000!) or
3) If you want to specify both a time limit and a word count, whichever comes first

Two buttons at the top of the writing screen (Done & Pause) give you a sense of control. But don’t get complacent. Pause only works once per session, so use it judiciously. But if the phone rings, if you feel the “call of nature” because you’ve had too much coffee, or if you have a “rumbling in your tumbling” as Winnie the Pooh says when he’s wanting some more honey, you can take one break. (This is why I recommend writing in smaller chunks. Of course, I need regular, somewhat frequent breaks – it’s a Boomer thing…)

You may at first think that the simple word processing window is clunky and useless, especially if you tend to correct and format and twiddle as you write. Making the text pretty is not the purpose of this program, however, and besides, that involves a wholly different part of the brain. Writing is right brain. Editing is left brain.

So use this clever tool when you need to get into writing mode. Knowing you have to basically keep typing non-stop can be a surprisingly effective motivator.

The program isn’t only based on negative stimuli. When you reach your word count and/or time limit, you’re rewarded with a triumphant trumpet fanfare. Personally I think a cheering crowd and massive applause would be a nice addition to the program, in addition to the fanfare, but then I’m a performer and get high on a cheering, clapping crowd.

The program was designed with NaNoWriMo in mind – the annual National November Writing Month challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but there is nothing inherently fiction-oriented about this wondrously fiendish little tool.

Tip: Get your idea fixed in your mind before you begin, or you won’t be prepared to write in a burst. When you’re ready to begin, make the following settings in Write or Die!

Word Goal – 0

Grace Period – Forgiving

Mode – Gentle

Time Goal – 10 minutes

Then, my friend, just write like the wind! Block everything else out This will train you to write in a hyper-focused state and should gradually (or perhaps instantaneously) increase your productivity. As you become more proficient, you can increase the time limit. Experiment until you find the length of time that works best for you. As I say frequently on this blog: “One size does NOT fit all!”

To access Dr. Wicked’s dastardly clever program, head over to his article “Write or Die!” To see a demonstration of this web app, go to Dr. Wicked’s YouTube video. (links open in new windows)

Be sure to Stumble, Digg, or Tweet about this blog post. Share the wealth. Pass the word. If we don’t help one another, who will?

Share and Enjoy: