Write Or Die
I first heard about a program called Write or Die a few months ago. I looked it up online to find this description: “Write or Die is a new kind of writing productivity application that forces you to write by providing consequences for distraction and procrastination. As long as you keep typing, you’re fine, but if you become distracted, punishment will ensue. Everything is configurable, name your word goal, time goal and preferred punishment, then start writing!”
I don’t like pressure, but I’m intrigued by anything that can help me meet my word goals, so I posted on Google+ asking if anyone had tried Write or Die. It turned out a fellow WANA writer, Samantha Warren, regularly used it, and she agreed to write a guest post to explain how it works and how anyone who wants to try it can use it most effectively. Join me in welcoming Samantha!
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Product Review: Write or Die
By Samantha Warren
You can feel the words, buried somewhere in that foggy brain of yours, but you can’t seem to make the fingers that hover over the keyboard do their job. You stare at the blank screen until your eyes start to cross, sigh, and wander away to do something else until your “muse” returns.
It’s often referred to as writer’s block, a term I don’t exactly agree with. Writer’s block implies that it’s something you can’t fix, something that has to go away on its own, like you have to wait for the creativity to return. Any writer who has ever been on a deadline knows that sometimes you just can’t wait for the mood to strike. So what do you do?
For times like these, I use Write or Die. It’s this nifty program created by Dr. Wicked that keeps your fingers moving, even if your brain doesn’t want to. I’m going to deviate from writing for a moment to try to explain what Write or Die does. In Simon Pegg’s Run, Fatboy, Run, Dennis is trying to run a marathon. There’s a scene where he’s reached a figurative wall. He just doesn’t think he can go any further. But he summons what little strength he has, focuses on that wall, and busts through it. It gives him the motivation to keep going and finish the race on a strong note.
Write or Die helps writers do just that – break through the mental wall. As it claims on the website, it kills writer’s block.
Here are a few tips to use Write or Die more effectively:
- Block it out. Use fullscreen mode. It’s too tempting to be able to see other screens and it’s easy to get distracted.
- Be gentle. If you’re writing anything you plan on actually keeping, do not, I repeat, do not use Kamikaze mode. Kamikaze mode will start deleting words if you stop writing for too long. I use Normal mode and set the Grace Period in the middle. You don’t want to be losing those ever-precious words if you’re planning on publishing them. Understand that there will be times when you get slightly distracted. It’s okay. That bright red screen and screaming baby will bring you back to the task and set you back to work, but it’s a lot harder to do so if you have to rewrite everything you had already written. I also turn off the “Disable Save” option. Sometimes you’ll have to handle an emergency, and you don’t want to lose everything you just wrote.
- Give yourself time. Set word goals and time goals that you can actually reach. I know that I can write 1000 words in 30 minutes if I really set my mind to it. But that’s not what I set my goals at. I use 1000 words and 45 minutes. That gives me time to deal with any distractions and still meet my goal. I’m usually done way before the 45 minutes are up, but setting an attainable goal is less stressful and allows me time to think about the words I’m writing.
- XXX marks the spot. I’ll often be writing and run into a spot where I can’t remember a name, have a brain fart, or need to look something up. I will not stop writing to go find that information. Instead, I use XXX in place of names I need, or I surround my question with asterisks. For example, in my most recent novel, one section looked a bit like this:
Two double ***will people know what double means*** beds sat side by side along one wall with a night stand in between. A large armoire stood along another wall, in addition to a captain’s desk ***What’s a captain’s desk?***
Editing while you are trying to write is a sure-fire way to lose your motivation and bring your writing to a grinding halt. Mark trouble spots and keep moving ahead. You can fix any issues later, once the WIP is finished.
Those are just a few of the tricks I use to keep the words flowing and my fingers moving. Write or Die is available in three formats: directly on the website, as an app from the Apple app store, or as a download for your computer. The website version is completely free, so you’re not losing anything to try it. The app is $4.99, and the download is $10.
The great thing about the download is you only have to pay once. Dr. Wicked insists that you should never buy it again, and if you need another copy, just email him. He seems like a great guy, and he’s a writer, too, so he understands our pain. I also hear he’s coming out with an EditMinion program, which will be very interesting to see. And you can do Word Wars with your friends. Nothing like a little friendly (or not-so-friendly) competition to keep you going, right?
So those are just a few of my tips for beating writer’s block. What are yours?
Samantha Warren is a fantasy author who spends her days immersed in dragons, spaceships, and vampires. With her pet dragon, Anethesis, she ventured to the ends of the universe, but the cost of space travel cut into her sock fetish fund, so she sold her ship and returned home. When she isn’t writing, she’s milking cows or trying to feed them Pop-Tarts. She spends a lot of time in her weed patch (aka: garden), watching any show featuring Gordon Ramsay, or posting random things on her blog (http://www.samantha-warren.com). Her newest novel, The Seven Keys of Alaesha, will be released on October 1st.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 12:43:13
I’ve looked at this program a few times but honestly the Kamikaze mode looked frightening. The tips you give make me think I should take another look. Thanks Samantha and Marcy – great post!
Sep 27, 2012 @ 13:15:17
It was the Kamikaze mode that scared me too. Now that I know there are other options, I’m thinking this looks like a really interesting tool to try out.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 18:03:07
I love Write or Die but would never use the Kamikaze mode. I just imagine the phone ringing…
WoD is great for me because it forces me to ignore every doubting voice in my head,.. because if I listen, the voices will be replaced with The Most Annoying Sound in the World.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 13:48:24
That sounds hilarious. Though not the deleting words part! Lol.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 14:03:16
Thanks for inviting me to guest, Marcy! I really appreciate the opportunity.
Gene, the kamikaze mode freaked me out at first, too, but once I started playing with the program, it’s become a godsend. The biggest trick was learning how to deal with brain farts and things I needed to look up.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 15:08:00
I’m pretty good at flagging stuff to look up later, but have a problem with waffling on a word or phrase, or just stopping. I’ve heard about this problem, and like others, the Kamikaze mode has made me hesitant, but now that I have a better understanding of what Write or Die does, it sounds like something that just may cure me of waffling and goofing off. Thanks for the overview!
Sep 27, 2012 @ 16:12:40
My pleasure, Jennette! It’s free to use, so you’re really not losing anything by giving it a go. Let me know how it works for you!
Sep 27, 2012 @ 15:24:10
My blogging partner, Lark Howard, is a big fan of Write or Die, but she’s fearless and uses Kamikaze mode. The thought of my words disappearing kept me from testing the app. Now that I know I can choose my settings, I’ll give it a try, although Written Kitten, a similar app that encourages writers to keep up the word count by showing a picture of a kitten every 200 or so words, is more my speed. (But my speed’s too slow, so I see Write or Die in my future.)
Sep 27, 2012 @ 16:13:56
The Kamikaze mode kept me from using it for awhile, too. I didn’t want to lose what I wrote. But now that I’ve tweaked it to fit my needs, I’m extremely happy with it.
I think the kitten program would distract me too much. I’d be tempted to go look at kitty pictures instead of writing. 
Sep 28, 2012 @ 03:03:17
Written Kitten sounds cute! Will have to try that one too, maybe with term papers or something.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 16:41:39
Write or Die is an outstanding way to create urgency, and urgency will spur you into action. But unfortunately just a smidge too much urgency will trigger your limbic system, effectively turning off your creative cortex. You can still do everything you have practiced enough to make it automatic (like talking, writing, driving your car), but with the limbic system triggered, you are going to default to the fight-or-flight instinct. Write or Die keeps you from running away, but at the cost of not having your most creative, sophisticated thinking available. If you want to write the way you’ve always written, about subjects and characters you already know, you’ll be okay. But if you want to see new associations and connections, discover truly innovative plot twists and meet new characters, you have to keep your cortex online and your limbic system offline. More info you might want to visit my blog http://www.BaneOfYourResistance.com.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 16:51:52
Hmm, this is really interesting. I hadn’t thought about how it might affect creativity. Do you think it’s different from planners vs. pantsers then? I don’t need to create plot twists or new characters as I go because I’m a planner. I know my characters when I start and I also know how each scene will go. The crazy, innovative twisting takes place before the actual writing for me.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 17:21:50
Unless you’re writing formulaic fiction, you probably want to keep your creative cortex engaged. Knowing your characters and where the scene is going to go doesn’t mean you don’t want to write at your best with maximum creativity. So you either get so familiar with Write or Die that using it doesn’t cause you ANY anxiety or you sacrifice creativity. Once the limbic system is engaged, you simply cannot be at your creative best. You will have faster responses that come with the fight-or-flight response, which is very handy if you’re running from a predator or avoiding a car that just swerved into your lane, but not so much when you want to avoid cliches, overused patterns and derrivative writing.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 13:51:37
Honestly, I write better with the pressure. Without that extra push, I feel my writing is very blah. I analyze everything, delete constantly, and basically trip over my own feet. With Write or Die, I’m forced to let go of that and let the creativity just flow. I stop thinking and get out of my own way, letting the words flow out across the page.
One of the issues most people run into is trying to edit themselves while they write. They get hung up on making everything perfect the first time around, so many people don’t ever get through that first draft. Editing and writing require completely different thought processes. The writing needs to get done first and during that phase, it’s okay to have cliches, overused patterns, and other problems. That can all be fixed once you get the words on the page.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 18:04:38
I agree, Samantha, that the urge to edit while drafting is a major problem. You’re absolutely right that editing and drafting are two very different cognitivie tasks. So in effect, trying to edit and draft simultaneously is another form of multitasking. The cortex is incapable of truly multitasking, it just switches attention from one task (drafting in this case) to another (editing). All that switching is extremely ineffective. Attempting to multitask 2 or more activities can take up to 50% more time than to process them sequentially and can introduce up to 50% more errors.
But I’m not convinced that it’s the pressure taht makes you more creative. Would you be willing to try something and let me know what happens? I’ve never used Write or Die, so I couldn’t give this a fair trial. Would you try writing without Write or Die turned on but with the same expectation that you will not stop to edit, that you will just let the creativity flow? Please let me know if you notice any difference between the two experiences.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 19:05:49
That’s actually where Write or Die really helps me, Rosanne. I’m not nearly as productive without it. If I try to sit down and write, I get easily distracted by other things. The combination of the deadline, the easily tracked progress, the blanked out screen, and the reminder (through the noises and red screen) that I need to keep going all help me keep writing instead of drifting off into la-la land, which is what normally happens.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 16:49:09
Thanks for the great info, Samantha and Marcy.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 13:52:28
You’re welcome!
Sep 27, 2012 @ 18:03:39
Always glad to see some Write or Die love. I bought the stand-alone application and would be lost without it.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 15:23:51
Thanks for stopping by. It’s nice to hear from someone else who has tried it.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 23:41:06
I’m going to try this out. Thanks to both of you for sharing.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 15:22:34
Glad we could help
Sep 28, 2012 @ 01:34:22
Never thought I would do this, because I didn’t want to die…
Plus, the kamikaze mode scared the write right out of me. But, now that I know I can choose a more gentle mode, well, I may give it a shot. Thanks Samantha and Marcy!
Sep 28, 2012 @ 15:23:22
Hehe. As I mentioned above, it was the kamikaze mode that scared me too. No way was I doing something that might cost me precious words because I had to stop to sneeze. A gentler mode is less frightening.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 13:55:41
And it’s free, so you’re not committing anything but time. Let me know if you have any questions about the program, Amy.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 03:01:44
And here I thought I invented the XXX method about ten years ago. Great minds think alike!
I got into Write or Die once, loved it, but somehow never went back. I guess I did okay in NaNo without it. But when I get back into production mode instead of editing, I’ll give it a whirl again. Thanks for the tips – they’ll help a lot!
Sep 28, 2012 @ 15:22:16
I’ve been thinking about using it for my blog posts rather than for my fiction. I often linger too long over my posts.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 13:57:10
Great minds DO think alike! My biggest problem with the XXX method is I tend to use XXX for everything, so it takes a bit of detective work to figure out what I was trying to say once I start editing. I need to make use of other letters, too.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 11:57:27
I’ve heard of this before and the concept seems interesting. There have been times where I might have been interested. But then I realized I was too concerned about word count and I need to work with myself and my process. I think pressuring myself would just make me resistant to writing. But, I’m sure it works for some people. I think the important thing is to find what works for you. Thanks for keeping us informed about the options.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 15:21:33
That’s exactly the truth. This isn’t a tool that will fit everyone, but for writers who tend to be distracted by shiny things when they write, this can help them stay on track.
I’m going to give the free version a try just to see how it works with my process. I tend to be someone who works a touch slower but produces a very clean first draft, so I have a suspicion that this won’t be to my liking. But who knows
Sep 29, 2012 @ 14:00:45
It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. I tend to work better under pressure, so it gives me that extra boost I need to keep going. One of the great things about this program is you can change the goal, so you can slow it down quite a bit. The main intention is to help you avoid distractions, which I seem to have trouble doing on my own (this comment took me forever to write because I kept switching to other tabs and watching the soccer game).
Sep 29, 2012 @ 05:22:56
I’ve honestly never heard of this. Not sure it’s my cup of tea, but it’s an interesting idea. Glad it’s working for so many people.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 18:56:01
The things I’ve never heard of! I love that people find the program useful. Anything that works and doesn’t hurt us is valuable, IMHO.
I don’t believe in writer’s block, but I do believe in life block and respect and empathize with insecurities that often underlie creativity stall-ers. To avoid feeling stuck, I write a lot and often, continually work on myself and pursue my passions, stay away from negative influences and set boundaries in my personal life. I’ve also learned the importance of taking breaks—life changing.
Great post, ladies!
Oct 02, 2012 @ 06:04:13
I found a great article in the November 2005 issue of Writing Basics (Writer’s Guide)called the 31 minute First Draft by Debra Landwehr Engle (p.42-43) Believe it or not, it works! I’ve used it and I’ve used it with students I teach. A great tool!