To say this is tough love for balky fiction writers is an understatement. It’s downright sadistic.
But the threat of putrid music or worse–watching my words disappear one by one from my computer screen–kept me banging the keys long after I normally would have stopped for champagne, caviar, and a nap. Procrastinators, check this out!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I LOVE write or die! It’s totally awesome. I also use the simpler Freewriting Exercise, which is where you write for 5 minutes, whatever you want. Then it disappears. Which sort of punishes you for doing the work, LOL. You have to copy and paste before the 5 minutes is up.
Write or Die is better. I usually use Freewriting when I need to get a bunch of gunk out of my head.
Come to think of it, you might be the one that pointed me to the Freewriting Exercise, LOL.
The disappearing screen is good for freewriters who are still uptight and “presentational” about it: i.e. freewriting as if for an audience. Freewriting doesn’t work well in that mode. If you know your words will vanish in 5 minutes, you’re forced to realize it’s not the writing but the material unearthed BY the writing that’s the value here (although be ready to copy off any real gems before they’re gone). Dr. Wicked is better suited to writers actually producing draft, but having a problem with focus, discipline, etc. When the writing itself is important, you’ll really suffer watching your work disappear word by word. And since the only way to stop the pain is to start writing again…well, that’s the genius of it.