Write or Die: When you need that extra push!

Writers and students everywhere know the pressure of deadline. When you first learn of an assignment, the final deadline seems like light years away. You imagine yourself settling in to start the project well in advance. Perhaps you even picture yourself hitting “save” in glorious satisfaction with a job well done-and well before the deadline. Nevertheless, even the best-intended plans often fall short. Life happens. Writer's block happens and before you know it-you’re left staring at a blank screen with precious time ticking by.

What could possibly prod you into productivity? The makers of “Write or Die” believe their web application can get you writing in no time. Using the tenants of operant conditioning and negative reinforcement, Write or Die motivates you to write by threatening some pretty unpleasant consequences (in terms of online punishment!) if you don’t. There are three modes of play-I mean-work:

• Gentle Mode-If your typing lapses for more than a few seconds, you’ll see a box reminding you to keep writing.

• Normal mode: If your writing continues to lag, an irritating noise will sound and won’t stop until you resume writing. And finally, the most dreaded of them all…

• Kamikaze mode: Keep writing OR what you have written will be undone.

So maybe the fear of a rogue web app unwriting your work is too much for you. Write or Die still offers valuable lessons for writing. First, you can use the free program to set a timer. Have 30 minutes before your next class? Set the timer and watch your word count climb as quickly as you can before time is up. Second, Write or Die makes it difficult to go back and edit what you’ve written. This isn’t just a glitch in the system. It’s intended to force you to write, write, and write some more. Writing and editing should be two very different processes.

Write or Die and similar programs aren’t for everyone but some people find them immensely helpful. Many students just need a prod or a push in the right direction. Let PowerPapers get you started. If you have a massive paper or even a smaller report looming, why not get started today? Contact us for a quote. Our writers love to write and they’d love to help you with a top-quality product.