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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Dr. Wicked's Write or Die--A Brilliant Idea!



Last year on my failed attempt at NaNoWriMo, I found on their website a great tool writers can use to get their word count/productivity up:
Dr. Wicked's Write or Die.  It's  a website that promises to put the "prod" in productivity.  And hell yes, it does!

You set how long you want to write (say 30 minutes) and how many words you want to type (say 1500).  Then you hit the start button, and the time begins.  Your clock is ticking down, and your word count is sitting at the right bottom corner of your screen, adding up those little words every time you type and hit space.  You can pause your typing only once, and then it won't do it again for  you.  There are a few ways you can increase the level of stress--and hopefully--productivity by choosing which mode you want.  Take Kamikaze mode, for example.  If you stop typing for more than a few seconds, it will warn you, then it will start to delete, word by word, what you just wrote.  It makes for a diaper wearing experience--you have no choice but to keep typing no matter what!  I will advise you to make sure you've peed, have a drink handy, and have shut off your phone.  No interruptions allowed.  I'm too afraid to not finish my goal in the time I've set for myself.  I have no idea what happens if you fail.  If you panic, just hit the "done" button.  But then you feel like a big weenie!

I tried Kamikaze  last year, and I couldn't take the pressure after awhile.  There's another gentler mode which flashes the screen red, then starts a baby crying very loudly and annoyingly until you start to type again. Once you've hit your word count within your alloted time, you can hit the "done" button, then copy and paste your writing onto whatever program you've been writing on your computer.  For me, it's Apple.

This thing works.  It takes the "I'll start in a minute" chat out of your head, cause you have to start and keep moving.  I managed 1600 words in under 30 minutes today, and I'll do it again later on to hit my 30,000 mark.  Apparently you can buy the program for your computer, but the free program works just fine.

If only this worked for household chores, exercising, and other stuff we dither about.  I would be a whirlwind of activity.  So check this website out--if anything, to see what madness some people come up with to get things done.  And--try it yourself.  See if you can hack the Kamikaze mode.

7 comments:

  1. Oh my lord, sounds like a typing test!!!! Hope it is working for you!

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  2. Oh, holy, I'd probably vomit at that kind of pressure! I was actually feeling hurlish just reading about it! lol Sounds like you are dong fabulous with it, though!

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  3. Almost forgot--I love, love, love the new Holiday background you have on your blog!!! So adorable!!!!

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  4. Thank you both! It is fun to write quickly under pressure. It's total crap that comes out, but a word count is a word count!

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  5. If you want I'd be happy to wait outside your house whilst you clean, if it isn't done in the allotted time I can then sic Kamikaze Turtle on you. I guarantee she will spectacularly undo whatever you have done :-D

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  6. EEEK! I already have way too much anxiety to try either one of those! I'd end up on a stretcher on my way to the Loony Bin! I have to have everything "just so" when I write or I get distracted easily. Having this program "over my shoulder" would send me into fits, I'm sure.

    You're at 30,370 as I type this! WooHoo! Well done my friend!

    Peace,
    Martha

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  7. Oh I could write 1600 words in 30 minutes.
    They just wouldn't make any sense, be completely sentences, or probably even be related to each other: shoe, snow, crazy, I'm so hungry, where's the damn bat...

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