"Write Or Die" Application Punishes Lazy Authors

Need to get that homework done for school? How about another TPS report? Put "Write Or Die" on the case and you will write it, or suffer the consequences.

Dr. Wicked realizes that like donkeys, most writers either need a carrot or a stick to keep going. Whilst the carrot can be a tasty pizza left just out of range, some would-be authors only respond to a good whack from the stick. That's where the "Write Or Die" application comes in.

After setting the web application up, you just start writing. If you goof off, start reading webcomics or chatting in IRC, it starts playing really nasty music at you. Start typing again and it stops. Ignore the obnoxious tunes long enough, and the volume will slowly start to increase.

If that's still not enough to get your fingers back on the keys, Write or Die then begins to delete what you've written so far. Tough love, baby, tough love.

The application isn't completely unfair, however, and recognizes that you may quite legitimately need to take a bio-break, and so comes with a pause button. But it only works once.

It's a clever enough idea, but would any of you actually find this to be helpful?

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Goodness...what a mean program...

Wouldukindly:
Goddamn I need this, damn Questionable Content and Xkcd, always distracting me...I wonder, what music is played though?

I'm guessing Chocolate Rain

iain62a:

Wouldukindly:
Goddamn I need this, damn Questionable Content and Xkcd, always distracting me...I wonder, what music is played though?

I'm guessing Chocolate Rain

Or Aqua's Barbie Girl on an endless loop.

I guess it could be useful, but is torture really needed for writers?

that's not too bad.

I could use this. Very useful to just get one to sit down and WORK.
Shame the bio button only works once.

This programm sounds pretty good IMO but I wonder what type of music it plays.

But is there some kind of timer until that "deletes everything" programm starts?

Edit: Oh and I could actually never use this programm because I have to think in between typing so it would delete my source code/or play music because I have to think about what the next "if else" should do.

better hope you don't get an important phone call after using that one and only bio button.

I'm something of a writer myself (God that sounded like a bad pick-up line...). I sometimes need to think. That involves not typing. You know, when you don't know in which direction you should take your article or story, and you lean back in your chair and stair at the ceiling, trying to work things out in your head?

If I used this app, I would just end up telling it STFU and let me work: because thinking is work when you are writing. So the short answer to your question: no.

you know.....human beings have to pee not just once every decade. Unless you are WoW-tastic and recycle your own waste to power your computer. In which case, go right ahead.

level250geek:
I'm something of a writer myself (God that sounded like a bad pick-up line...). I sometimes need to think. That involves not typing. You know, when you don't know in which direction you should take your article or story, and you lean back in your chair and stair at the ceiling, trying to work things out in your head?

You can turn it off, but only after your time is up. There's a timer there for that purpose.

Say you wanted to do 500 words in an hour. Whichever limit gets reached first turns the program back into a normal text editor.

hmm. If it works for Microsoft Visual Studio I'll consider it. I work from home, and I sometimes have problems with... working from home.

Ah. Missed that.

Either way, I'll stick with Scrivener.

It just seems like it would up the anxiety of the writer and increase the production of crap writing instead of taking the time to properly think things out. Writers need better motivation than a piece of software can offer.

It could be worse, I thought it was just some guy who stands behind you with a shotgun and cocks it each time you lag for too one.

I found this a few days ago, I was going to post a topic on it, but didn't think it'd be discussion material.
XD

Oh well.

LaxLuster:
It just seems like it would up the anxiety of the writer and increase the production of crap writing instead of taking the time to properly think things out. Writers need better motivation than a piece of software can offer.

Actually, I find that the hardest part of serious writing is putting stuff down on a blank page/screen; partly because the ol' Inner Editor keeps holding back for fear of writing "bad stuff" instead of deathless prose. This, I think, would shut the ol' Inner Editor up long enough to get the idea down.

"Write or Die" would be useful when writing first drafts, I think, where the important part is to get words down on the blank page. They don't have to be perfect in first draft, they just have to contain the necessary ideas. (You work on the "deathless prose" aspect on the final draft.)

That being said, I paid a chunk o' change for Office and dammit that's what I'll use.

-- Steve

LaxLuster:
It just seems like it would up the anxiety of the writer and increase the production of crap writing instead of taking the time to properly think things out. Writers need better motivation than a piece of software can offer.

Agreed. I'd rather have the better motivation rather than trying to bang down rubbish within a time limit. I did enough of that when I was trying to write my crappy science-fiction novel.

That said, I'm not a professional writer, and Anton P. Nym's right about the hardest part of serious writing being the initial draft.

I need to show this program to a few people...as they don't have a "Draw or Die" variant for me I guess...

Hooray for the off button on my speakers!

Um...no...I like to have an incentive to write, but that's more of a hindrance.
Actually, now that I've thought about it for five more seconds, it could be useful if I were writing something for school. I do tend to goof around online when I should be writing an essay.

I do need incentive to write... I should totally give this a try.

Khell_Sennet:
Oh damn, could I have some fun with that program.

Agreed. Installed on a friends laptop when I next see him. Also, possibly useful for me (right now i'm percrastinating right now to be on the escapist).

I will agree that grinding through the first draft is like willingly turning the crank with your fingers in a meat grinder, but this doesn't seem like the best motivator.

To be honest, if anybody ever DOES find a great motivator for that, send it my way... Best to just keep the eye on the prize and remind yourself that it's just a wordy outline anyway and about 80% of it is going to change in the next draft... unless you're far more awesome than most.

I really like that idea because some people(not writers just people in general) need a good smack to tell them to WAKE UP and see what is around them. I myself am quite lazy at writing so a program like this would be beneficial for me becuase I keep telling myself that I will write this review and only type a few sentences and then quit.

My second problem and the other reason I do like this is that this might help me increase the length of my writing style. I am normally a very straight and to the point person but I am not able to elaborate. This program will force me to think how to explain this to people and still make sure it is coherant.

EDIT

There is a chat channel on this website?!

Forcing you to write might cause the quality of the writing to drop though, so I don't think it is a good idea.

Couldn't you just turn down your speakers? Or perhaps close the program?

I hear on the next version there will be a Nightmare mode which is a RickRoll

God damn I would hate this thing.
No, the music has to be Madonna. That's torture.

I'm sending this to a friend. He needs it.

PirateKing:
Um...no...I like to have an incentive to write, but that's more of a hindrance.
Actually, now that I've thought about it for five more seconds, it could be useful if I were writing something for school. I do tend to goof around online when I should be writing an essay.

Who doesn't?

I'm going to become a computer science teacher just so i can install this on every computer at school.