Thread: Write or DIE

Anyone heard of this?

http://writeordie.drwicked.com/

There's the online version, and I believe you can download it for your desktop for $10.00
A classmate of mine has been using it to get chunks of his novel written and says it works wonders for him. Definitely not everybody's bag.

But basically, you give it a time frame (say 45mins) and a goal (say, 1000 words) Then you have to type. If you're not typing for a few seconds the screen starts to go pink, then red, then it'll start deleting your words.

I need to get a whole bunch of things written for school so I'm going to give the online version a try. My biggest problem when writing is I'm so easily distracted. Whether it be by my TV, wandering around my tiny apartment, coming on here ... Or nitpicking every little thing I've just written.
I'm hoping this helps. Thought I'd share it around.

No thanks.

Just imagine someone called you on the phone and you forgot to switch "Write or DIE" off. You come back to find your entire novel gone.

Hahaha. Well, that's what you GET for not being a dedicated enough novelist to disconnect your phone, nay - cut out all friends and people in your life who could possibly cause you to lose your masterpieces.

Sheesh Sam, do you wanna be a pro or not?

If I do, I know I won't be using "Write or DIE" to become one.

Well gee mister, good luck to ya but I don't have much hope you know. Without the threat of death, how would we get anything done.
I have this program for all aspects of my life.
Do the dishes or DIE
Pay that bill or DIE

You know. How else do people do it?

I want to say that I wouldn't like it and it wouldn't work for me, but... I find the concept intriguing. This sort of program would certainly get me to stop editing as I go.

Originally Posted by Like a Fox

Well gee mister, good luck to ya but I don't have much hope you know. Without the threat of death, how would we get anything done.
I have this program for all aspects of my life.
Do the dishes or DIE
Pay that bill or DIE

You know. How else do people do it?

LOL Kath..some people use a reward system.

Do the dishes and I get to sit down for a while
Pay the bill and I get to sit down and watch tv for a while (this works really well with the electric bill or the cable bill or both)
Write this chapter and I get to go to WF and hang around (this one works for me)

I tried the Write or DIE thing back when it was a freebie. Didn't work for me. But hey! Enjoy.

Sounds interesting. I have a similar program, called children. They don't let you write for more than 15 mins. at a time. And if you leave the screen up they will come up and randomly hit buttons until everything is gone or replaced with gobbledygook.

No seriously I couldn't use it, it would hurt to see what I spent so much time writing getting deleted.

Kat, haha.

And yeah, this sounds really interesting but I don't have the patience to do it. I actually don't have the "edit as you go" problem anymore. So, this wouldn't much help me with the "setting time aside" problem I tend to have.

But, I can definitely see how it would help some people.

Ask yourself:

If you need dumb gadgets and gizmos to make the writing experience a bit more interesting, are you really cut out for this or would you be better off flipping burgers? My experience suggests that the more a person loves this kind of stuff, the closer to 'total' their writing registers on the drivel scale.

Originally Posted by Mike C

Ask yourself:

If you need dumb gadgets and gizmos to make the writing experience a bit more interesting, are you really cut out for this or would you be better off flipping burgers? My experience suggests that the more a person loves this kind of stuff, the closer to 'total' their writing registers on the drivel scale.

Might I just say, just because you flip burgers does not mean you are unable to write. It's an urban myth, I swear.

I'm perhaps not a good enough typer to get much from this program, but I do use non-stop timed writing for exercize and like the result. Strengthens and maintains the finger-mind connection which is the athletic basis of the writing arts. With time it helps in the overall manipulation of the idea stream which is being translated. Often there is the sort of self-discovery which can translate into voice. Also sounds good to me for school work. pp

Originally Posted by Mike C

Ask yourself:

If you need dumb gadgets and gizmos to make the writing experience a bit more interesting, are you really cut out for this or would you be better off flipping burgers? My experience suggests that the more a person loves this kind of stuff, the closer to 'total' their writing registers on the drivel scale.

Well you're welcome to read my writing and tell me if you think it's drivel.

It's a disciplinary thing. Which you know. As far as I'm concerned it has little to do with the quality of writing, more the quantity.

Originally Posted by ppsage

I'm perhaps not a good enough typer to get much from this program, but I do use non-stop timed writing for exercize and like the result. Strengthens and maintains the finger-mind connection which is the athletic basis of the writing arts. With time it helps in the overall manipulation of the idea stream which is being translated. Often there is the sort of self-discovery which can translate into voice. Also sounds good to me for school work. pp

Yeah, it works for me. I've been writing 1000 word chunks in 30 minute periods. It's like being chained to the computer to write, rather than being held here loosely by willpower.

Originally Posted by Mike C

Ask yourself:

If you need dumb gadgets and gizmos to make the writing experience a bit more interesting, are you really cut out for this or would you be better off flipping burgers? My experience suggests that the more a person loves this kind of stuff, the closer to 'total' their writing registers on the drivel scale.

Way to be a party pooper, jeez.