Do you expect me to write?

Even though I hate large portions of the story I wrote last year (that story will remain forever hidden in the deepest of archives on my computer), I couldn't wait to sign up for another 30 days of NaNoWriMo insanity. Last year -- you remember! -- I signed up to do NaNo, then I broke my wrist. Yeah. That wasn't among the brightest of strategies, I'll admit. BUT! I didn't just manage to win NaNoWriMo, I met my goal with four days to spare!

This year, I have a new tool in my arsenal: Write or Die.

Write or Die (Putting the "Prod" in Productivity) is basically a motivational tool using negative reinforcement to keep you writing. The link above will take you to the main screen, and if you click the Web App button on the left, it jumps you to a small box where you can get started. I recommend fiddling around with it for five minutes to get a feel for the different grace periods and how effective you find the different levels of consequence. I'm not too fond of Kamikaze level consequences (which deletes your work one word at a time if you stop writing for too long), but I do prefer the Evil grace period (Don't even think about taking a sip of that tea! Write!). The idea is to get that inner editor silenced, after all.

I've even sucked Penelope and Emma into using it for their own NaNo stories. While Penelope has thrown herself into the NaNo experience with gusto, Emma has a particularly persistent internal editor. Couple that with her natural tendency towards perfectionism, and you have a recipe for disaster. (Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?) I set both girls up with the Normal consequence (they especially like hearing Banana Phone) and the Forgiving grace period, set them an attainable goal and time limit, and turn them loose.

While there are downloadable versions available for a reasonable fee, the Web App works just fine for me. (Ask me again, though, after I've been stuck for a while with my own internal editor and no internet connection.)

Give it a try, and Happy NaNoing!