I used to get this a lot.
Write. Just keep writing. Don't stop. Set yourself a time limit if you have to (Write or Die is great for that). Keep writing without giving your 'self-editing' thoughts time to intervene.
Reread it a week later and make changes based on how naturally the sentence flows.
There are an infinite number of ways to phrase a single action. You will get lose in infinity.
I've recently fallen in love with http://writeordie.com/; if you don't keep writing, you're penalized with an annoying noise (examples include Hanson and babies crying). It's helpful for me, because I have a tendency to start day dreaming or getting distracted while writing, and that allows me to maintain focus much more easily.
Word sprints help. I set a timer for fifteen minutes (or use Write or Die) and spew words onto the page until the time is up. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to do 1k once I warm up. Doing two sprints an hour, every hour, gets the rough draft out very quickly.
Why, thank you! I must confess that I majored in physics myself, though.
The main trick is to read a lot in the style of writing you like. You can probably tell that I've been reading overly dramatic fantasy lately. My style changes dramatically if I've been reading academic papers, and if I need to write something serious, then reading short, grammatically-incorrect comments on places like Reddit and Fark is murder to my professional voice.
The other, more painful trick is practicing writing. National Novel Writing Month (November) or Camp NaNoWriMo (April and July) are excruciating for people like myself who dislike writing, but they make first drafts so much easier. After the experience of writing 1667 words a day, every single day, for a month, writing the first draft of a 1500-word paper is absolutely trivial. With the Write or Die app (which I can assure you is worth the $20 by saving me hours of tears), I've been able to figure out that my personal style is that I can manage a 30 word/minute pace for 15 minutes but then I need a breather. But, do that three times and it's entirely possible to write a rough 1500-word draft in an hour and a half! You could wake up late and still get that done before noon. Yeah, it's unsourced and not spellchecked, but since the rough draft was the hard part for me, having the practice of speedwriting and the structure that app provides was killer.
Anyway, I just wanted to share a tip for something you could do this April or July to make your college courses a lot easier, in case you're planning to go to college.
Word sprints are one way to speed up your writing. Set a timer - say anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. When you know you have such a quick deadline, who knows what'll come from your mind and fingers. :)
Write or Die can help too for some people!
Write or Die? The version that's out now is version 2, you're probably thinking of the original.
Video showing the original version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdLLo08cJKY
All the sandwiches!
Mostly fear and adrenalin. Deadlines and Write or Die. After that it's all inertia.
I just finished Wake of Vultures by Lila Bowen and I highly recommend it!
I would focus on one thing at a time. When are your papers due? Since those are so important, you should focus on them as soon as possible. Try to shut your relatives out while you're working. If you explain to them that you've got these papers, I am sure they will try to be understanding.
Also, if you're like me and have a hard time staying off of Reddit when you're working, LeechBlock works wonders. It's a Firefox add-on, and I would bet that they have it for Chrome, too, or whatever browser you are using. It won't make you stay off Reddit completely, but will help you manage your time- maybe only let yourself have an hour a day. And for staying on task while writing, Write or Die can be helpful. The only problem is that if you stop typing to go look something up, it can get irritating. But if you've got your materials in front of you, it can be an amazing tool.
If you're trying to write something, I suggest write or die for a masochistic ass-kicking. (Scroll down to 'web app' if you want to try it out!) If you'd prefer something that's a bit more rewarding (and adorable), check out written? kitten!
Exactly this. The introduction is the hardest! Write everything else, then summarize it in the introduction. Go back to good ol' 5th grade strategies if needed.
1) what's your topic?
2) what are your supports for your topic? (paragraphs)
3) what are your facts and quotes you want to use?
4) Make an outline, with paragraphs from (2) and sentences from (3) -- this is where you can sort out all your jumbled thoughts and figure out which ones go together
5) Add punctuation and transitions to turn your outline into full paragraphs
6) write the introduction
7) write the conclusion
Done :)
The HARDEST part is staring at the blank document. If you can set a timer for 5, 10, or 20 minutes and then just type anything that comes to mind, it'll be WAY easier for you to go back and sort it out later. Don't just keep staring at the blank page. http://writeordie.com/
Also, when things start to sound confusing, say it out loud. Talk to a chair or your dog and tell them what you're writing about. Then write down the things you said. Speaking is more natural than writing in most cases, since your brain is used to organizing thoughts for speaking.
Also, the #1 secret to get an A is to write a rough draft (no matter how rough it is) and then bring it to the teacher after class and say "Hey, I was thinking about saying x, y, and z. What do you think?" or "hey I wrote two paragraphs but am having trouble coming up with a third, do you have any advice?" and then take notes on the advice they give you. 99% of teachers will basically tell you exactly what to add to your draft in order to get an A. Then they'll also grade you higher because they see how hard you were working, and you don't have the 3am panicking before the deadline.
It's the length of an average essay... reminded me of my college days, night before an essay is due! ;)
Also, Write or Die. Sadistic little thing to help you write non-stop.
I loved having Scrivener, but I lost it when I had to swap operating systems. I've been using Word by itself since, but I've not been nearly as organized. When I can get a job and have some cash to spare, I'll probably buy it again.
For Christmas, though, my mom paid for the $20 download of Write Or Die ( http://writeordie.com )and I've been using it every day. It really helps get the words out when the program threatens you with loud noises and munched letters if you stop writing for too long. You can use it for free online, but I'm moving to a house with limited internet, so it'll be well worth the investment.
When writing, however little I do it, I generally find that it's much better to get my ideas out quickly and refine it afterwards with the assistance of a dictionary and thesaurus. When I start writing, after I establish a very light outline, which is really just a general idea of the structure, I use Write or Die.
Write or Die has several options. I use kamikaze mode, which begins erasing your content if you don't continue writing. It sounds rather counter productive, but it encourages you to get your ideas down and stops you from going back and refining during the writing, helping you get the rawest form of whatever you're writing.
And of course, there is always practice. Write short stories about anything. It doesn't really matter what it is, just write about it. You'll eventually improve the more you write.
Personally, I'm a bit wary of Scrivener. I'm not sure it's entirely safe -- and I know for absolutely certain that MS Word leaves backups everywhere the entire time, and its files can be read by just about anything.
Mindmap stuff is cute, but I prefer paper. The tool I've been most impressed with is Write Or Die. It shouldn't work as well as it does, and under pressure, the writing that comes out shouldn't be as good as it is. But it does, and it is. Great stuff.
I'm not sure how well this will work for something like a personal statement, but this really forces me to sit down and at least get something out, which I can then go back and edit.
I agree with what is being said here. Get the English out of the way so you can at least turn in something.
Working in so you are totally focused for X amount of time then take a short break for Y is also a good way to work. If you have stuff like numbered problems (like in a math class) I personally like to try to knock 5 out before I break, maybe more if they are simple problems.
For the English homework I would recommend Write Or Die for bashing out the rough draft. It's a nice little program that sort of forces you to do some solid writing for the time of your choice. It probably won't be quality stuff but it is something and a lot of times just getting something can be all you need to start.
I've done NaNo for three year, I'm doing the camp now as I'm not sure if I will be able to do it during November this year. I love it even if I don't win.
What you do to prep depends on you. You might want to do some outlining/note taking and prep work like that. Maybe make character profiles or some quick little snippets with your characters just to get to understand their personality. I didn't plan anything about the camp Nanowrimo story I'm writing now and I'm doing fine though so prep isn't necessarily needed.
You will want to plan your writing time. You need to write about 1,667 words per day. For me that is about one hour of writing, for you it could be less or it could be more. I find the site Write or Die to be the best site for making myself do nothing but write (I get distracted really easily).
I think the biggest reason people drop out is because they fall too far behind. It is really easy to understand why they just give up, when you have to write 20k worth of words in a week it can be off putting.
If you want a taste of Nano you can still sign up for Camp NaNoWriMo. You will be a little behind but that will just teach you how to catch up and not kill yourself.
I have most of the story planned out in my head, and I've always pantsed NaNoWriMo, I just didn't write for the past few days, litteraly zero words. I've written 3k before in a day, It isn't that bad with places like writeordie helping me out. However, I see your point. Since my stoy is set in the near past (think 2013) I could take some time to see what the global news of the day was before writing more. Thanks for the tip! :)
Good job! Looks like you're definitely on the right track!
When you say "typesetting covers," do you mean literally covers with just type and no photos? Because if you do, you're probably losing a lot of sales from your covers. You should definitely sign up for a stock photo site (Depositphotos, mentioned already, is a good one) and start putting scantily-clad people on your covers as soon as possible.
I used to be overly precious with my words, too, and still tend towards that if I'm not careful. Have you tried WriteOrDie yet? I've found that to be the single best tool out there for getting me out of my head and just putting words down.
I do the same thing. Write or Die in kamikaze mode was a game changer for me. I just get what needs to happen down on the page and treat it as an early draft or a superoutline. It's much, much easier for me to gussy up a page of middling prose during real editing time than it is for me to agonize over getting every single word right while I'm writing.
Also, if I know that I would be able to phrase something better if I had time to think or I'm really jammed up, I put brackets around the shittily written text to remind myself to come back to it later.
"He caressed her [nipples and stuff, delete this later] while she..." etc.
1) 2k again! I came in just under the wire yesterday; let's hope I can reach my goal before 11:30 p.m. tonight.
2) I'm writing a menage romance right now, and feeling very self-conscious about the sex scenes. I set out to write a fairly typical "two hotties focused on the main protagonist" and it's turning into this weird egalitarian polyamorous feelings-fest. It's too early to tell if this is a bad thing or not; I'm sure I'll tweak it some in the editing anyway, but after every writing session I find myself scratching my head and going, "I'm...not sure anyone's going to fap to this."
3) My favorite writing tool and writer's block buster is Write or Die. If I'm stuck and just need something to motivate me to vomit out words, I'll set it up for a 15-minute 500-word session and go to town. The stuff I write this way is almost always terrible because it's totally stream-of-consciousness, but it helps get the words flowing again, and sometimes it provides me with workable outlines or rough drafts. It's a good way to just power through a scene that's giving me trouble so that I can move on to the next thing--yeah, I'm gonna have to rewrite it later, but at least it's done.
I use this site. (It looks like an ad, but you can use it free.) It's meant for fiction writing, but it's been helpful for my nonfiction as well. You set a word count or time goal, and if you don't consistently keep writing, it has a built-in consequence to encourage you.
Naturally it has to be edited afterwards...but it's a lot easier (for me at least) to edit something already there than try to write it perfectly the first time.
I've already used variations of this but quit once they weren't free and the gimmick wears off once you become serious about working and need to switch to a normal writing program.
http://lifehacker.com/5263560/typewriter-forces-you-to-focus-while-you-write
If you're still having issues getting words on the page, try using Write or Die. It's a website that let's you set a timer and word count for each writing session and once you start writing, if you stop, it will play an annoying sound and turn the screen read until you start again, or even start erasing what you've written, depending on your setting.
Glad it made you smile. During a crisis it can be hard to give ourselves credit for the things we're doing right. Thanks for the Hemingway editor. I like the color coding. Different programs catch different things -- It bugs me when I find errors in my published work so I use more than one.
Thanks for the tip on B&N. I didn't think I was anywhere near the lines on Amazon but after reading your account I'm rethinking staying exclusive there. If they start banning accounts for dark content, I'm fucked. Seems absurd, though, loads of bestselling books have dark content, yet as always the lines for erotica differ from every other genre.
Found that discussion about uploading different content/cover to an unpublished book. Again, I don't know how much of this applies to a banned book. http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,215820.msg3010383.html#msg3010383
Yeah, I don't participate a lot on KB. Before my time they slapped the board with Google 'family friendly' rules which quashes all but the most sanitized discussions of erotica. But it helps me stay current with promo tactics and learn from what others are going through.
Glad you liked the links. Here's Write or Die by Dr. Wicked. I haven't used it much because I find it distracting. It makes a good threat, though: http://writeordie.com/
Good to hear you found your Zen. Great going. That's a super fast recovery. Give yourself some credit as you climb the next hill.
BTW, it might not save me, but I'm in favor of the focus on quality, too.
Just a thought, you might experiment with work outside of erotica. My other fiction has pulled in half my income this month.
Pomodoro and Write or Die are both web sites! I was on mobile before so I couldn't link, but here they are: Pomodoro Technique and Write or Die.
I use various apps that cut out distractions and I do not look at what I have written, except when I forget where I am at. I do not correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and I don't try to figure out the best words. I just let the words flow. I make a list of scenes that I need to write and then a list of what happens in those scenes. Then I just write.
I use WriteorDie to force myself to write really fast and not look back. I use ilys so I don't worry about spelling, and just get the words out and word count up. I use FocusWriter also because it helps reduce distractions.
Nice, I've played around with Write or Die before. Looks like there's a newer version out here.
I think I suffer from some sort of perfectionism, so I edit as I go (which is a terrible way to just get words on paper).
This is late, but have you ever tried Write or Die? It's software, but you can use a simple version online by adjusting the sliders at the bottom of the screen and clicking "Try."
Basically, you tell it how much time you want to write, and if you stop writing during that time, it will give you unpleasant "consequences". The screen turns red, annoying sounds play. The consequences stop when you start writing again.
Since it forces you to write continuously, not everything that comes out is usable. But it's a starting place.
The tricks that've always worked for me is either to pick somewhere that definitely isn't the beginning and start writing there, hoping the right way to write the beginning will just occur to me, or to head over to write or die and just make myself write. There are modes that aren't consequence mode in version 2, but use consequence mode and set that shit to kamikaze with the grace period all the way down. See how fast your writer's block melts with those settings.
^^^Almost ^^^nothing ^^^you ^^^write ^^^this ^^^way ^^^will ^^^be ^^^good ^^^just ^^^warning ^^^you.
[I usually motivate myself with promises of batmilk & cookies.](www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHCuBGuozkQ#t=3m41s)
I kid. Seriously, there's no other way to do it than to take it one piece at a time, each day do a small portion of what you need to do - studying or a paper. It sucks ass, but it's the only way to do it - binge studying does not help in the long run - I often find that even if I do do well on the test the next day, I'll be damned if I can recall what I "learned" during that frenzied study session a week ago! This is especially deadly, if you're in a class that is a prerequisite for another class. Forgot a basic tenet of that class you took last term? Oops, turns out your professor counted on your already having memorized that garbage!
Don't overdo it all at once, either, or else you'll just end up in hysterical frustration once you hit your "wall". Whenever you feel as though you're hitting that "wall", it's time for some light exercise to perk you up and relieve your mental fogginess. I'll be real here, though: from one procrastinator to another, if you DO put it off till the last moment, snacks are a great motivator to keep reading/copying/writing.
The only other part of this is that I believe that hard work and sincere effort deserves a reward. As such - find something you love to do and hold it at ransom until you do the alloted work for the day. My main problem has always been being unable to leave a job undone for the day for completion the next day, so I either burn out or say, "fuck it", and then NOTHING gets done. The solution? Window shopping in an hour if I can behave long enough to get done what needs to be done - an hour (or more!) playing that video game I keep wanting to boot up instead of doing what I need to be doing.
Edit: If you need help for the next hour, if you're writing something, may I humbly recommend Write or Die?
Ahhahah...ha...
Don't tell anyone, but I'm fairly behind as well. I've found Write or Die helps me a lot, I'm able to write 1k words in under 25 minutes. (Not that I'm bragging! I'm still really behind.) It also helped that it was only $10. Try out the web app, it's decent albeit a bit more basic compared to the desktop version, but it's free!
...ugh I'm gonna go write. I wish you the best.
Sigh. I came down with a migraine yesterday and didn't write at all. I'm just about caught up for where we should be yesterday, but that still means I have 2k left for today.
This wouldn't be happening at all without Write or Die. :-/
"How to stick with it" is such an hard thing to give advice on. Not that there isn't good advice or anything, but it's just that what makes it click for you might be unique to you.
What spurred me forward and got me writing consistently was the horrifying thought that I would have to spend another year of my life at my awful job. If you're the type that can be motivated by long-term goals, find yours and hold it in your head.
If you're not, try out Write or Die to keep the fear of the writing gods in you.
I was in a situation like yours last year. I had depression like symptoms but it didn't fit the bill for major depression. It was partly because of stress of school (I actually also didn't complete a full minimum credit thing). I ended up reevaluating what I was doing and ended up changing my major to something I truly loved.
First off talk to someone. I know people here are saying a doctor or therapist but really just talking to anyone might help. I never talked to a therapist (though I think I should have) but I did talk to my boyfriend and it helped me so much.
I try to break my homework and house work and fun into little blocks of time. For example I'll work in say 25 minute blocks where for 25 minutes I'll do homework then for 25 minutes I'll dick around on the internet, then more homework, then a chore. I feel like I am getting things done this way and that gives me more motivation.
I also love a list I can cross off, it makes me feel like I'm getting stuff done as well.
It also sounds like you are writing a paper, for that I suggest checking out Write or Die. It isn't the greatest for research papers but the general idea does help. You set a time or word goal and don't stop writing until you reach it. I generally set a low time goal (10-15 minutes) until I have enough written. Then I edit, which isn't fun but it is easier than the actual writing.
I've found that just getting around can help motivate me. I feel like there is just something about a nice hot shower and taking the time to do my hair and make up (I'm usually lazy in this department) just makes me ready for the day.
Exercising helps too though that can be hard to actually start.
I don't know about you guys, but I find, once I stifle my inner editor during that first week of NaNo, I become much wordier than usual.
Everything I write has the magic ability to balloon out to a few thousand words if I let it. This is mostly a negative thing.. but I enjoy it.
I'll bet, if you use Write or Die and just let yourself relax into the projects, you'll wind up writing far more than you actually need.
Do you have a wordcount for these papers, or just a page count?
Go to Write or Die. think about one of your characters back stories and just write. It will delete words if you pause too much. When you get a good backstory for that character, go to the next character and do them. Repeat this process until you have an idea of where you would like the plot to go. You can use these words toward your word count.
Everyone does it a different way, it seems. The only consistent thing is: write until you stop caring about how terrible some of your words come out, and then keep writing.
Also, Write or Die has saved my butt four out of four Nano's :)
I would work on getting it all written before you start worrying about the language. Use something like Write or Die if you have to. You can go through and check your pronouns and sentence structure and dialogue or whatever later—hell, you can rewrite the whole thing later, if you want to. For me, it's just a lot easier to say, "Okay, we'll take this chapter and revise it to make it flow and say these things/develop that character/foreshadow those events/make that metaphor without pushing that in the reader's face," rather than, "I'm going to write this perfect chapter now."
Don't worry about writing something good, just write. And have fun doing it!
Also: it would help if you focused on one or two things at a time, while you write. Focus on (for example) pronouns and grammar, but don't worry about the other things for now.
I've done NaNo a couple times and this is all great advice. And for chronic editors and perfectionists like me, http://writeordie.com/ is a fun little tool. It'll start erasing your words if you dawdle too long, which is pretty metal but super useful for getting into the mindset of just getting it down.
I say write maybe 1-2 hours a day and try to do this every single day. If I'm in the zone and my story is flowing, I can bang out 2667 words in about and hour. But most of the time, it's not like that so I take closer to 2 hours. But I always aim for 3k words a day. It might not seem like much, but those couple hundred words add up.
And of course, you're going to have some days where you write more, and some days where you write less or none at all (Thanksgiving is a notorious dead spot for me since in the last few years, I've basically written nothing during that entire weekend, not just that day) so you're going to need all those extra words in the beginning.
But for me, I don't write faster as the month goes on, I get slower. And my motivation usually ends up waning around that time so it really helps me to be industrious in the beginning to tie me over at the end.
What does help is not sitting down and writing all 2667 words one sitting. I do most of my writing like that, but I also write on the go a lot too. Any time I have spare time, I'm tapping away at it on my phone (normally, I would be playing some stupid mobile game). And I attend write-ins (great for keeping focus!), or I hit up the local coffee shop/Starbucks for a change in scenery. If I'm feeling really hard up for words, then I do Write or Die. You set a time limit and a word goal and you start writing. If you stop for very long, it starts deleting your words. You'll be surprised at how punishment based writing works. Just don't expect your best work while you're under pressure -- but that's what editing and the month of December is for.
To be fair, I'm not surprised I've done 5,238 words by 11 AM. I've been Writing So I Don't Die.
Writeordie gets we to write fast. Set your wordcount and the time you want to get it done in and DON'T STOP. You can't self edit or think about what you're writing, so it's best to have an idea of what you're saying beforehand.
Goodluck!
Starter charge. Try doing total freewriting (intentionally shitty writing works too) for 20 to 25 minutes. There is a mental writers' block and a physical writers' block. The physical one is what most of us suffer from. Your neuropathways need that starter charge, like booting up a car that's been sitting for a while, it might kick for a while as the fuel injectors pump that sludgey gas into the engine.
WRITE OR DIE has been incredibly useful to me. The trick with WRITE OR DIE is, you don't even open it unless you're committed to being effective that day. And this is where the mental block comes in. This is where you have to trick yourself, again, probably by intentionally writing shitty material. You could try to write the worst poem ever written. This will engage your sense of humor, another thing that's probably deactivated if you're in a block. If you can get to the point where you're laughing, and writing the worst poetry ever written for about 25 minutes, I promise you once you're up to speed it will be much easier to keep going.
Late follow-up. I was thinking about the free-flow of writing I have in this sub. Unfiltered. Then I revise. It hit on me that there's a functional reason that helps with this:
The small text box I write my posts and comments in. My phone replies have an even smaller input box.
It limits how far back I can see what I've written, so I'm far less likely to go back and revise while I'm still going. You might try sizing your writing app in such a way that it limits how much you can see of what you've written. I think I'm going to try this for myself.
Another fun tool is write or die. It forces you to write quickly and constantly. Very customizable, too. This might help you. :)
Googledocs because its accessible across platforms and on the go, saves automatically, and has cloud backup. I will also be using Write or Die for word sprints since I find it the most effective way to kick my butt into gear :^)
I've seen software where the text will disappear if you don't keep writing. Maybe that would get you the same sort of motivation to write, even if it's not exactly what you wanted.
http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/28/10853534/flowstate-writing-app-mac-ios-delete-everything http://writeordie.com/ (doesn't seem to be working for me today)
The problem I've always had with these gimmick writing apps is the file format choice. The software has to be written to support at least one of about half a dozen different popular file formats (each with its own pros and cons and difficulties in implementation), and by choosing that one you pretty much alienate all of the people who can't or don't want to use that format for editing the file later in a real word processor.
I use this desktop program called Writer's Block which basically locks you out of your computer (you only have access to a blank screen for writing) until you've written a certain number of words or a certain amount of time has elapsed. Unfortunately the site has been down for months, as you can see, but I can zip up the program and send it to anyone who wants it.
There's also Write or Die, which is an online app. You basically choose a goal (length, time, etc), and a mode, and start writing. There are consequences of different levels if you stop--at the highest, your story will actually begin to unwrite itself.
First off is Adderall or nicotine as I have ADHD. Second is going somewhere else, like the library or coffee shop. I use a program called cold turkey to kill access to sites like reddit. Write or Die is another program to force yourself to write. When all else fails I use my mechanical typewriter, though transcribing them onto a computer is a pain. I just bought an old school portable word processor for smaller writing sessions. I'll have to find out if it was worth the $12.
I think this is a great idea, especially if you have trouble focusing on one thing at a time. I've been using Write or Die for a few years now for a similar reason. I switch off my Wi-Fi, put on some headphones and play some white noise in the background.
Here are a few different potential causes:
1) You don't know your story well enough. Potential solution: develop a stronger outline. The snowflake method might help; I've used it for short stories, but stop at step 4 or 5.
2) You don't think your words sound good enough. Potential solution: look at draft 1 as the "what" and draft 2 as the "how". If you need to write a sentence that says: "Danny says some awesome burn to Charlotte", do it. Draft 2 you can go back and figure out what the burn is. The sweet lines, for me, come easier when I'm not worried about getting the story out. Draft 1, the story is there. Draft 2 is where you figure out the best words to tell it.
3) You fear the tyranny of the blank page and the first word. Potential solution: start writing and do not stop. You are not allowed to pause or edit anything for x minutes. There's a website or tool out there that actually forces this. I looked for it but only found this.
Sucks that it's tomorrow, so telling you not to procrastinate seems rather unhelpful in the short term.
Windows 8.1 with bing is actually just the full version of 8.1 The Bing bit is just that in IE, Bing is the default search engine. It also costs computer manufacturers only like $10.
Also, it doesn't come pre-installed with MS Office. That version costs over $250, even on Microsoft's Signature Edition website.
People getting the X205 are going to be kids, students and writers looking for great battery life that can also run a few of their prefered programs that ChromeOS can't run.
I ordered mine just this morning and will be using it as my main writing machine. I'll be sticking Write or Die 2 on it as well. I have no intention of doing much, if any, multi-tasking on it.
I'll be using it off-line most of the time as well, to put that battery to full use. But when I am browsing, I'll make sure to have no more than 3 tabs open at a time.
I almost got the Stream 11 over it, but the X205 has better battery life and display.
Sounds great! I've never written a script; I really enjoy writing and reading description, so I tend to go more the short story and novel route.
Crime and noir is awesome! I love to read it, but I don't know if I could write it. So many details to keep track of, and trying to make it suspenseful but not giving away too much sounds like a challenge!
Have you tried writeordie.com? It really forces you to keep writing within a certain time period, so you can then go back and edit later. It might not work for what you're writing, but when I'm really stuck because I'm a perfectionist, or I don't know what is going to happen yet, it can really help! Even if I don't like what I write straight into the box, I find it easier to edit than it is to stare at a blank page and wonder what comes next.
Write or Die. I've shouted about this program before because it's usually over-looked, but I can't over-estimate how much it's helped me. I have the exact same stop-start issues, tend to veer off into daydreams, etc. Look it up. get it. Trust me. It's basically a stick that pokes you along, with settings for how much you want to be poked. And yes, I know how that sounds.
There are different types of procrastination. I believe you can conquer most types by being honest with yourself and listening to your body. It's a practice and habit that you have to establish, not just expect to magically appear. My discipline now (while not perfect) is incredible compared to a few years ago.
Restless and jittery: You know that itchy, terrible feeling you get when sitting at the computer for too long? That means I have some excess energy I need to work out, so I do some pushups, squats, whatever until I feel tired.
Start and stop: I hate this one. When you have a scene you're trying to write, you know what you want to say/do but there's some sort of thick filter installed...I use Write or Die for this. It forces me to just keep writing without stopping and for better or worse I get the words out.
Monkey mind: When your mind is jumping from branch to branch, beyond your control. I sometimes use meditation, 5-10 minutes of just clearing my mind. I sometimes go full screen with my word processor just to eliminate distractions. This type of procrastination is insidious and unique for each person. For instance, I couldn't care less about my phone so that's not an issue for me.
I use focus@will regularly (I'm not a shill). I'm not sure if it's the actual music that helps me or the process but the act of listening to it allows me to get into the right state. When I'm not in the mood to write, I make sure my time is spent productively. I'm actively choosing to look at Reddit, or watch TV, or whatever not passively doing it because I don't know what else to do. It sounds like a pain but it has really helped me remain aware of how I'm spending my time.
Wall of text, wow.
The write or die web app is an invaluable tool. It allows/forces you to pour the contents of your head onto the screen.
Later, you can go over it and refine it, but as far as generating content, it is an awesome device. Make sure to try Kamikaze mode.
I'm sorry I didn't mention this in my first comment, but you might also want to look at a website called Write or Die. The website basically forces you to write by threatening you with various punishments if you procrastinate. It helped me enormously when I was slogging through the 30,000 and 40,000s. http://writeordie.com/#Web+App
29347 today, after writing 4K. I can't believe how useful http://writeordie.com is. To everyone who recommended it, you have my thanks.
I can write 1K in 30 minutes, so this is 2 hours of work spread out across the day. No hesitation allowed, no delay, just go.
I'm about midway through my second act, which will end when one character FINALLY sets the other free. We'll then be onto Act Three, which will hopefully wrap up the novel and set us up for Book 2. :)
Write at least 1,000 words in the morning just after you get up. Do this before anything else, like checking email or social media. Disconnect from the internet if need be. I use Write or Die for brain dumping words onto page and Edit Minion to help get a draft to where I'm willing to let a beta reader pour over it. http://writeordie.com/ http://editminion.com/ Write when you can. Edit what you write. Ship/post. Repeat.
Write it badly. Seriously. Sit down and say "I'm going to write this book badly. I'm going to make it stupid, cliche, and nonsensical. That's what I'm aiming for." Then write it. And when you start freaking out over how bad the plot or the characters or whatever is you can say good because that's what I'm going for. Writing in this can help keep you from over-analyzing while you write. Don't go back and revise things. Focus on getting it done.
Once it's done, go back and revise. Start with the big things. Don't focus on making it good. Focus on making it a little less terrible every time. Eventually it will be good.
The gaddy hits are boring but so easy. Mine tend to be Things I Look for in a Widget Company (with widget company being the keyword).
When writing I sometimes use the site writeordie.com. It counts the characters for you so you know exactly when to quit and it yells at you if you stop typing.
Write or Die has definitely kept me on my toes. Before you start writing it asks you to set a time limit and a word count, and it does expect you to keep writing within that time. Stopping for too long invokes one of several (user definable) punishments, and the length of time before WoD starts getting nasty at you can vary between a minute or a few seconds depending on how much prodding you know you'll need. For a lazybones like me, it's been a great motivational tool.
Write or Die is a pretty good way to get that honest first draft.
If panic isn't your thing, though, I've found that changing the font color to white on a white background works too.