I was perusing the net this morning while eating my cold pizza and Mountain Dew. NOT the breakfast of champions, I know. But it’s what I had in my office. 🙂 I will have an apple and peanut butter later. But, I digress…
I came across an amazing writing tool that I just had to share. It’s called Write or Die. If you haven’t heard of this, you are missing out… Big Time!
Write or Die is a program that assists you with hitting a word count or just writing for a specific amount of time. The web app is free and the timer is set for 15 minutes. You can pause the time only once, so use it sparingly. You start typing, typing anything. If you stop typing, the background of the screen around the writing canvas will turn progressively darker shades of red until it is bright red. If you still are not typing by the time the background is bright red, a very annoying sound blares out at you and does not stop until you start typing again! I’m not going to spoil it by telling you what the sound is.  🙂  I’m evil like that.
Like I said, the web app is free. The desktop app is $10 and works for Windows, Mac, and Linux users. The iPad app is also $10 and includes additional features that the desktop version does not have. There are no Android or Google Chrome versions available as of yet, but rest assured I have asked Dr. Wicked (Jeff) if he has those versions in the works yet. I will update you when I hear back.
So, check it out. The app was developed by a guy named Jeff Printy (ironic, I know). And Jeff has some other apps worth checking out as well. Click on the link below to visit the Write or Die Web App.
When I tried the Write or Die Web App this morning for the first time, this is what I wrote:
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Ok, So I’m using this Write or Die thingy for the first time. I wonder what happens if I stop writing. Let’s see . . . stopping now . . .
… OMFG. Ok, Ok. I get the point. LOL.
… So, the screen turns a darker shade of red until finally a loud *NOISE* sounds. The sound continues until you start writing again. Wow. That’s effective. Of course, you could just shut the window down. But then, you would be defeating the whole purpose of forcing yourself to write!
At some point, it comes down to how badly you want to write, what you want to write about, and whether you actually want to make yourself a better writer or you just want someone to do it for you. This app will not do the writing for you, that’s for sure. However, it will encourage you to continue writing.
Some of the best writing I’ve ever read was someone’s rough draft that they spewed onto the screen or page without pause to think about whether their word choice was correct or not. Stopping the creative flow while writing down the first ideas that come to your mind is sometimes worse than not editing your work at all. Over thinking and constantly doubting what you’ve written or what you’re thinking is worse than not writing the piece at all.
You have to trust your instincts. You’re a writer for a reason. Because you’re good at it or you have to do an assignment. Whatever the reason, you either want to do your best or get it over with. Write or Die will certainly assist you in that process! If you’re working on an assignment that you just want to finish and be done with, this will encourage you to keep writing until it’s over, until it’s done. If you want to do your best, this program will do that too. By helping you to get as much down on paper, or on the screen as the case may be, without pausing to second guess yourself.
Happy Writing!
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So, hop on over to WriteOrDie.com and have yourself a writing good time. Buy the app. It’s worth the $10. Awesome writing tool. Thanks Dr. Wicked!
Eileen Maki 