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. :) 

There's an oil for that.

As some of you might know, I’ve been interested in essential oils for a little while. After partially tearing a ligament in my hand/wrist while moving hay last winter, a friend of mine recommended using essential oils to help with the healing process and use as a painkiller. One of my piano student’s moms sells oils for Young Living and she helped me figure out which ones to use. My parents were a little skeptical at first that they’d work, but that didn’t last long. I used an oil blend called Deep Relief to help with pain, and an oil called Helichrysum to repair the damage I’d done. The oils helped heal that up, as well as keeping the pain away.

Another experience I’ve had with essential oils is from using the Peace and Calming blend that Young Living sells. My family went up to Wisconsin last week to visit some relatives and after about 8 hours in the car, my little siblings started to get squirmy and loud. I put a drop of Peace and Calming on each of their wrists and they settled down within five minutes. I’m pretty sure Peace and Calming is now my mom’s favorite blend. An added bonus is that Peace and Calming smells absolutely amazing. It’s very fruity and I wear it as a perfume sometimes.

"Peace & Calming® is a gentle, fragrant blend. When diffused, it helps calm tensions and uplift the spirit, promoting relaxation and a deep sense of peace. When massaged on the bottoms of the feet, it can be a wonderful prelude to a peaceful night's rest. Peace & Calming may be especially calming and comforting to young children after an overactive and stressful day." quoted from http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/blends/peace-calming-essential-oil

So, I’m now an essential oils distributor with Young Living. All of you who use/sell oils can now rejoice—I have joined the dark side (no, just kidding. I know it’s not the dark side). And to those of you who don’t use oils (yet), I hope you learn something from my small supply of oily knowledge. Posts on this blog will now include occasional things I’ve learned about a particular essential oil, experiences I or others I know have had, and things of that nature.

More posts on oils to come soon. :)