Write-or-Die

It's a deviously evil tool isn't it? It may have to be adopted seeing as I seem to constantly be getting sidetracked

As often as my work disappeared on kick off day this application will work nicely. hehehehehe

In love you never lose, because love is never lost, like energy, it transforms, and is in us to find the new shape, to take it again, and keep going.

I love this website. It's helped me complete a few writings. They will be adding an offline version of the program soon too. So you can use it without being online.

They ought to rig that program to delete a random Facebook friend if you miss your counts. Facebook is my anti-writing.

You know, I would actually advise would-be serious writers AGAINST using gimmicky little tools like this. I know it sounds like it would keep you motivated, but the reality is that writing is not just about the speed in which you can get words down on paper. It's about creating something that communicates an idea you would like to share with others. There are times where it's good to push past your mental blocks and keep writing things down, but there are also times where it's good to sit back and reflect on where you're going and what you're trying to achieve.

Every word you can commit to this vision is a victory, but having a program that essentially is going to hold your words hostage unless you can overwhelm it with so many that it releases them all is a pretty severe way of getting those words down. Plus, you're putting yourself in a position where you're either going to have to cheat with a copy/paste or write a bunch of garbage so you don't lose your work.

There are many other, better ways to force yourself to write and to achieve word counts. One of the best is simple accountability. Set a goal, share it with a friend, and ask them to hold you accountable on it. If you fail, you fail. But maybe you need to fail because your story is going in the wrong direction, and you're trying to lead it when it needs to be leading you. Maybe you've stopped listening to your characters and need to step back a few pages and find where you parted ways. Maybe you just need to start another section and leave this one alone for a few hours.

But what have you gained if you've put yourself in a position to lose that writing? Just another excuse to quit. And that's the last thing any writer needs.

As a side note, professional writers do not use gimmicks like these. Full-time writers sit down at the computer every day and write for eight hours like they would for any other job. Part-time writers work with deadlines, and they often have to scramble to get drafts turned in on time. Losing any words would be detrimental to their sanity... and believe me when I say that their editors would murder them if they found out they were risking their word counts so carelessly.

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Sean J. Jordan
Municipal Liaison, Southern Illinois Region
Keep up to date on Southern Illinois NaNoWriMo events on our blog!

@Sean I agree using it to rely on getting you to write isn't a great idea. But only the kamikazi mode deletes words. The non kamikazi mode can keep you on task though. It doesn't delete anything it just makes an annoying noise. So if you're writing and then go play with Facebook after a 15 seconds or up to a minute (depending on setting) it makes a loud annoying little noise. Which for those who aren't professional writers can use to get back on task. I have used the kamikazi mode to get myself to write something I knew exactly what I needed to write but just got so placated with the concept I couldn't bring myself to write anymore. Worked great for scripts.

I've heard of Write or Die, but I've never used it. Instead, I opt for just hiding my distractions. I use JDarkRoom, a super-simple, fullscreen text editor that blacks out the screen and leaves only a blinking cursor. Though it doesn't delete my words, it is surprising how much just hiding my distractions is in keeping me focused. Though I'm a little behind on words after Day 2, I feel like I've done well considering that I'm working 12-15 hours a day right now.

Ok, time to stop typing forum posts and continue writing my novel!

-Ken

Yes, yes, yes! So true, Sean! Thank you for saying all these things!