I wouldn't really call it writer's block... more like... "Get away from me, life!" block... cause I can't seem to avoid distractions like, oh, you know... Internet Forums... long enough to sit down and write. 90% of my writing is a struggle.
I forget the exact quote or who said it, but they said something like "Writer's block is when a writer stares at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood appear on their forehead."
That's me. And most of the time when I'm staring at that blank piece of paper I get distracted by a shiny object or Family Guy or something like that, so I'm looking for ways to kill the distractions.
I remember reading in On Writing, Stephen King's part-writing advice book, part-autobiography how he used to have a small, dark room where he'd shut himself in until he'd written 2000 words... I need something like that.
At the same time, I need something that encourages ease of use. The more I have to put into setting it up just to start writing for the day, the less likely I'm going to come back to it to write again the next day.
For example, I would like to use a typewriter because I much prefer typing over writing. However, I don't want all the hassles that come with setting up a typewriter... ink, paper, sticking keys, etc. I need something where its only function is writing, much like a typewriter, that doesn't require much more than pressing a power button or opening a program.
Basically, I need a way to take a computer and strip it of anything useful except for its ability to type the buttons I press. Even those little notebooks are far more advanced than this.
Is there such a thing as a digital typewriter? All it does is type but without any of the mess of a typewriter?
At the same time, I'm also trying to find a good program and hardware that will translate voice to text. I find that I can't type nearly fast enough to stay caught up with what I'm thinking and I end up losing track and getting frustrated. I can't write any faster, so I need another option. I need a way to record my voice into text. I know these sort of devices EXIST, but they haven't historically been very good. I'm hoping with all the recent innovations in voice command protocols that maybe something good is creeping into this market, too.
If this could be mobile, portable, that'd be even better. I often find myself inspired with things to write about when I go out running in the evenings and I usually have to wait until I come back home to write it down. If it comes at me at the beginning of my run I've usually either forgotten about it or decided it wasn't worth the trouble by the time I get home.
Like Mitch Hedberg used to say...
"So, I sit at the hotel at night and I think of something that’s funny. Or, If the pen is too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of wasn’t funny."
I need to put the pen always in reach.
So, basically, I'm looking for some advice from other writers out there:
1. Help me create a sensory deprivation writing tank so that when I go there it's only for writing and nothing can distract me.
2. Do you know of any good voice-to-text translation software? What about good mic hardware? Maybe something portable that I can use on the go?
I forget the exact quote or who said it, but they said something like "Writer's block is when a writer stares at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood appear on their forehead."
That's me. And most of the time when I'm staring at that blank piece of paper I get distracted by a shiny object or Family Guy or something like that, so I'm looking for ways to kill the distractions.
I remember reading in On Writing, Stephen King's part-writing advice book, part-autobiography how he used to have a small, dark room where he'd shut himself in until he'd written 2000 words... I need something like that.
At the same time, I need something that encourages ease of use. The more I have to put into setting it up just to start writing for the day, the less likely I'm going to come back to it to write again the next day.
For example, I would like to use a typewriter because I much prefer typing over writing. However, I don't want all the hassles that come with setting up a typewriter... ink, paper, sticking keys, etc. I need something where its only function is writing, much like a typewriter, that doesn't require much more than pressing a power button or opening a program.
Basically, I need a way to take a computer and strip it of anything useful except for its ability to type the buttons I press. Even those little notebooks are far more advanced than this.
Is there such a thing as a digital typewriter? All it does is type but without any of the mess of a typewriter?
At the same time, I'm also trying to find a good program and hardware that will translate voice to text. I find that I can't type nearly fast enough to stay caught up with what I'm thinking and I end up losing track and getting frustrated. I can't write any faster, so I need another option. I need a way to record my voice into text. I know these sort of devices EXIST, but they haven't historically been very good. I'm hoping with all the recent innovations in voice command protocols that maybe something good is creeping into this market, too.
If this could be mobile, portable, that'd be even better. I often find myself inspired with things to write about when I go out running in the evenings and I usually have to wait until I come back home to write it down. If it comes at me at the beginning of my run I've usually either forgotten about it or decided it wasn't worth the trouble by the time I get home.
Like Mitch Hedberg used to say...
"So, I sit at the hotel at night and I think of something that’s funny. Or, If the pen is too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of wasn’t funny."
I need to put the pen always in reach.
So, basically, I'm looking for some advice from other writers out there:
1. Help me create a sensory deprivation writing tank so that when I go there it's only for writing and nothing can distract me.
2. Do you know of any good voice-to-text translation software? What about good mic hardware? Maybe something portable that I can use on the go?
