Write or Die...and other cool writer things

I've been trying to figure out some ways to keep myself more motivated to write lately, as I tend to get distracted, which leads to procrastination and not getting anything done. The outlining and worldbuilding parts of writing are way too much fun for me, so I usually do those if I don't want to write. I found a couple things that help with that, and also a cute little progress widget for my blog (look to the right hand column and you'll see it...what was I saying about getting distracted?).

Write or Die

This is an online service provided by "Dr Wicked". It does not save your work, so you need to be sure to copy/paste it into a word document before exiting the page. You can set it to several different modes: gentle, normal, kamikaze and electric shock. You can also set the grace period to forgiving, strict and evil. There's a place to put your word goal and how long you'd like to work on your writing. 

On the site, it says the point of the different "modes" are to "instill the fear of not-writing in the writer". If you're using the "gentle" mode, a pop-up will remind you to keep writing if you stop. In normal mode, an annoying sound will play if you stop writing for a specific period of time. It only stops when you start writing again. Kamikaze mode is described as this: keep writing or your work will unwrite itself. I'm too scared to figure out what the electric shock mode does. 

The nice thing about this is that it's free--you don't have to buy it to use these features. I used it today for the first time and will definitely be using it again in the future. 

Zen Writer

Also free, this application blocks out all distractions when you write. It's full-screen and doesn't have the numerous formatting features Word or other word processors do. You can set the background to different images you find inspiring, turn on your music and write. The time is shown on the bottom in a color that almost blends in. This application does save your work, but I always save it in Word as well. 

I used this for NaNoWriMo last year and it helped me tremendously. 

Novel Progress Widget: The Little Bean Guy

My (short) list wouldn't be complete without a cute widget to add to your blog. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find this one. You can set his mood (very frustrated, ready to shoot the computer, shocked, sleeping, watching TV, calm, writing novel and happy) and also set your word count. The number of pages in his stack rises as you update your word count. This has the word goal automatically set at 50,000. 

What are some things you like to use for writing? What do you do to keep yourself from getting distracted? Post in the comments and let me know. :) 

Writing...even when you don't feel like it.

I know the feeling all too well. I get my coffee, a glass of water and get nice and comfortable on the couch. Occasionally I’ll even sit at the table too. All psyched up, I open my computer and click on the document for my novel. Instantly, all excitement fades. It’s replaced by something akin to dread. The words on the screen start to look like either a foreign language or something a five-year old scribbled. This usually results in me acquiring a cause of the ‘author blues’ or placing my head in my hands and convincing myself that I’m a horrible writer and the scourge of the author world.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme.

All writers suffer from writer’s block and the author blues at some point in their life. Both of the things I tend to automatically do are obviously not what one should do in this situation. But what DO you do?

I was reading an article about horse training lately (yes, this relates to writing, I promise). Our pony sometimes refuses to go forward, instead planting his feet in one spot and staying there. Something I read by a famous trainer said this, “Sometimes a horse will refuse to go forward because they’re trying to tell you something. They’re trying to say, ‘hey, I need a refresher on the basics!’. They could also be warning you that the next step will be explosive…and not in a good way.” 

If you feel like you can’t (or refuse to) move forward, then go back and look at the basics. I don’t mean go back to your first grade English curriculum and start from square 1. Look at the big picture of your writing—your outline or overview. Read it out loud, get some input from others, act it out. Do whatever you need to do to make it real to you. I’ve found that if I start talking to someone about troubles I’m having with my story, they tend to have some advice and I’m able to see the bigger picture. Sometimes you’re just so close to your story that you can’t see anything else. Instead of zooming in and focusing on just a certain chapter or scene, go back to the outline and figure out your plot holes. It may seem basic, but it really goes a long way.

Schedule your writing time and stick to it. Make an appointment with yourself and honor it just as you would a dentist appointment, a get-together or a lunch. You’re a writer. Writers write, so you need to make time for it every day.

Write something completely off-the-wall crazy. I’m working on a short story right now about someone with a phobia of lampshades. The idea came from my sleep deprived, running-on-coffee-and-sugar self a few nights ago while talking to a friend. I was incredibly loopy and out of it and couldn’t focus on anything serious (like my novel). Any kind of writing is useful, whether it be something nutty like I did or a blog post or a letter to someone. Just get the creative juices flowing. Writing is like any other skill. You have to practice to get better at it. It doesn’t just develop overnight.

My last tip is to avoid beating yourself up. It doesn’t help you at all, even though it seems that it may get you more motivated. In my experiences (and those of a few author friends), it does exactly the opposite—it harms you. One of the biggest things that stops anyone from progressing in a creative field is fear. The fear of rejection. The fear of being laughed at. The fear of not being good enough. Don’t dwell on those things. Actually, what would be really good is to chop the fears to pieces, burn the pieces to ash, and then dump the ash in a river somewhere. 

Remember, the author is always the harshest critic of their own work. Throw your fears out the window and keep pressing on. You’ll get better if you keep practicing. So, write.