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The Most Dangerous Writing App
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Posted by Dr Andus
Mar 2, 2016 at 12:34 PM
shatteredmindofbob wrote:
>the whole thing seems a bit silly though I see how it’s kind of
>amusing. Just not practical. It’s not difficult to say, set the
>stopwatch app on my phone for 5 minutes and just write.
It depends on the nature of the writing task. If you’re dealing with a serious case of writer’s block where you’re paralysed by fear because the output will be judged by your peers or superiors (let’s say fellow scientists or your line manager), then setting the stopwatch may not be sufficient.
I see the value of these types of apps in that they force one to get into the flow of writing, and it is the act and process of writing that engenders more and better writing. So if all it does is helps you get started, then it’s already valuable. Then at least one has a first draft to revise (as opposed to wanting to write the perfect copy in the first instance).
Posted by Dr Andus
Mar 2, 2016 at 12:39 PM
P.S. it’s basically a psychological trick that these apps help to perform. I observed it with the Freedom software that cuts off Internet access. As soon as I launched it, I could suddenly breath (literally), relax, and focus on the writing. So what Freedom did for me was it removed to possibility of avoidance and procrastination that the availability of internet enabled. Which reminds me, I should turn it back on! ;-)