Write or Die, Baby

So. You’ve made up your mind you’re going to get some writing done, or else. But though you’ve freed your otherwise busy schedule, set the mood with your favorite music cd, and even unplugged that pesky telephone, your mind is blank, your knuckles are curled into an arthritic pose and the words still won’t come. What now?

Time to Write or Die, baby. Write or Die is a delightfully wicked little writing program by a fellow writer who calls himself “Dr. Wicked.” Now, it’s not a word processor or an editor of any type, so don’t go wiping your brow and thinking you’ve finally found someone to ghostwrite your story for you. Write or Die is a deceptively simple little text box made for the purest, most unadulterated form of literary evil… Well, okay, not really. It’s simply a text box within which you type your story or whatever you’re working on, and it forces you to write for a set amount of time (predetermined by you) or you suffer dire consequences. Consequences range from a gentle warning to what the creator describes as “a most unpleasant sound.” In some cases, your precious words may even begin to unravel and “un-write” themselves, as it were!

Sound like fun? It is. But it doesn’t just supply a neat little diversion, it actually forces you to write, the crafty little devil.

I like it because it gets deep into my psyche and stops me from making yet another writing excuse. When I set my parameters (i.e., number of words I plan to write vs the amount of time I think I’ll need), it won’t accept any of my spectacularly creative excuses for not writing. The moment my fingers stop clickety-clacking on that keyboard, the screen starts blinking. The longer I twiddle my thumbs, the redder the screen becomes, until there’s this sudden horrid wailing sound that’s a cross between the three little pigs throwing a temper tantrum and the Hound of the Baskervilles unplugged.

Believe me, this program will get you writing. But don’t just try to imagine the consequences, why not hop over to Write or Die and try it for yourself? Dr. Wicked has been wickedly-kind enough to supply a free version as well as a paid version, whichever tickles your fancy.

So…take your pick. Write or die, baby, and get that novel done.

Here’s the link: http://writeordie.com

Best wishes and happy writing,

Rita Lorraine