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  #1  
Old September 10, 2017, 01:24 PM
Dien Rice Dien Rice is online now
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,357
Default How to kill "writer's block"...?

I've been having a bad case of "writer's block" lately...

But then I realized, I seem to never have "speaker's block."

Everyone may be different. However, I seem to mostly be able to find something to speak about. So why do I often have a problem when writing?

I think it's because when you stop speaking (especially if you are giving a presentation), there are consequences! There can be an awkward silence...

However, when you stop writing, there are no consequences at all. In fact, it can be pleasant. I can go back to surfing the web, instead of this dastardly writing!

But, I just started using the "Write or Die" website... www.writeordie.com

This is a website where you can set it to have "consequences" if you stop writing. For example, an unpleasant alarm sound could start blaring at you, and it only stops if you start writing again!

Then there's "kamikaze" mode... This is when it starts altering your writing if you stop.

There are other sites and apps with a similar mode, that delete your writing if you stop writing. One thing I like about "Write or Die" is it's not so drastic... Instead, your writing gradually becomes "disemvoweled!" That is, the web page starts going back and removing vowels. The good thing about that is your writing is not totally lost, and you can probably "fix" it! However, it is a real consequence, because it will create extra work for you!

I generally use it in "consequence" mode (rather than "kamikaze" mode)...

The way I see it, it turns writing into being more like giving a talk, in that there is a consequence if you have too long of an "awkward silence" when you're writing!

Anyway, give it a try.

Another thing... It's just simple - plain text writing, no formatting. Also, I didn't really try the "Save" button, I just copy and paste the writing somewhere else when I'm done. (I regularly use www.simplenote.com - which also has minimal formatting. So I copy and save the writing there. One great thing about Simplenote is it "syncs" between multiple platforms, and it saves all changes... So you can see what your writing looked like yesterday, if it's a piece of writing you've gradually changed. If you delete a paragraph, and you change your mind, you can go back and retrieve it later, because it's all saved in the history...)

I wrote this using "Write or Die"...

When I finish my writing, and have copied it over (and checked that it "saved" there), I reload the "Write or Die" page to stop the "consequences" from happening...

Oh, when you first get to the page, you may see a complicated looking "dashboard"-like thing at the top of the page. You have to click on the "Try" button to use the free web-based version. There is a paid downloadable version which you can get, too, which has more possibilities you can try out...

Maybe some here will find it helpful...

Best wishes,

Dien
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Last edited by Dien Rice : September 10, 2017 at 01:38 PM.
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  #2  
Old September 10, 2017, 02:28 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Posts: 3,471
Default Thanks Dien, although I can't address Writer's Blcok (never had it) nor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dien Rice View Post
I've been having a bad case of "writer's block" lately...

But then I realized, I seem to never have "speaker's block."

Everyone may be different. However, I seem to mostly be able to find something to speak about. So why do I often have a problem when writing?

I think it's because when you stop speaking (especially if you are giving a presentation), there are consequences! There can be an awkward silence...

However, when you stop writing, there are no consequences at all. In fact, it can be pleasant. I can go back to surfing the web, instead of this dastardly writing!

But, I just started using the "Write or Die" website... www.writeordie.com

This is a website where you can set it to have "consequences" if you stop writing. For example, an unpleasant alarm sound could start blaring at you, and it only stops if you start writing again!

Then there's "kamikaze" mode... This is when it starts altering your writing if you stop.

There are other sites and apps with a similar mode, that delete your writing if you stop writing. One thing I like about "Write or Die" is it's not so drastic... Instead, your writing gradually becomes "disemvoweled!" That is, the web page starts going back and removing vowels. The good thing about that is your writing is not totally lost, and you can probably "fix" it! However, it is a real consequence, because it will create extra work for you!

I generally use it in "consequence" mode (rather than "kamikaze" mode)...

The way I see it, it turns writing into being more like giving a talk, in that there is a consequence if you have too long of an "awkward silence" when you're writing!

Anyway, give it a try.

Another thing... It's just simple - plain text writing, no formatting. Also, I didn't really try the "Save" button, I just copy and paste the writing somewhere else when I'm done. (I regularly use www.simplenote.com - which also has minimal formatting. So I copy and save the writing there. One great thing about Simplenote is it "syncs" between multiple platforms, and it saves all changes... So you can see what your writing looked like yesterday, if it's a piece of writing you've gradually changed. If you delete a paragraph, and you change your mind, you can go back and retrieve it later, because it's all saved in the history...)

I wrote this using "Write or Die"...

When I finish my writing, and have copied it over (and checked that it "saved" there), I reload the "Write or Die" page to stop the "consequences" from happening...

Oh, when you first get to the page, you may see a complicated looking "dashboard"-like thing at the top of the page. You have to click on the "Try" button to use the free web-based version. There is a paid downloadable version which you can get, too, which has more possibilities you can try out...

Maybe some here will find it helpful...

Best wishes,

Dien


boredom. Two things I've never experienced...I can tell you that I'm having a lot of success with Google Docs (Chrome browser) speech to text. It is proving to better than my Dragon Naturally speaking. I saved myself 90 bux I was going to spend at Rev.com by staying with Google docs until I got it to listen to me.

One thing I do when writing...always quit in a middle of a sentence and put two or three bullet points in, something
-also mention soup
-don't forget stews.

Pick your thought back up with a mini direction marker of what you want to write (or say) next.

Gordon
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  #3  
Old September 10, 2017, 04:02 PM
Cornell
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: How to kill "writer's block"...?

I find with writers block it is more the venue than actually a block...when this happens I head to the river bank and tranquility and things start flowing again.

As to what Gordon mentioned about inserting points to revisit.....the brain goes faster than the keys on the keyboard and fleeting thoughts can not only be lost but also interfere with the flow of the idea or words that were in motion at the time the thought pops in....even breaking away from the idea to key in a point can break the flow...to circumvent this when writing, I have a voice recorder in voice activation mode, and I just speak the thought that popped in, and then can revisit it when I am done what I was currently keying in...works for me. (as a single parent, the kids were told that if the keyboard was clacking then no interruption until it stopped and then they could have my attention....very hard to get the flow of an idea back - wording the way you wanted it - if interrupted midstream)
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