It is ironic modern operation systems such as the Mac and Windows platforms struggle to make your digital life easier by automating notifications, you know the top-right stacked menu on the Mac or bottom-right chat-bubble icon on Windows that slides out the right-side notifications window. Hey look, all my Twitter and Facebook notifications are right here! It's amazing stuff, and also an absolute productivity killer. Facebook, web games, real games, notifications, news flashes, beeps, boops, slide-out ding-dings, and all sorts of other "hey look at me!" widgets constantly fight for our attention.
Could you imagine having all these notifications turned on during watching a movie? How could you enjoy it? The same thing goes with writing. I want to lose myself. I don't want a window behind a window peeking pout at me like some attention-starved child. I don't want a constant stream of...
...wait, okay, I am back, sorry about that, Facebook notification, someone posted a reply to my post. Where was I?
Oh, apologies for that, so here are some of the popular alternatives to writing on a PC or Mac that I have found, along with some of the ones I have used to write my books. Note, some of these are very hipster, out of date, and strange devices, so you have been warned.
AplhaSmart Neo and AlphaSmart 3000
Pictured above, these devices have ceased manufacturing, so people are buying up four or five at a time just to keep them around for the next ten or twenty years. I couldn't imagine doing that, but I can see the appeal. These are really basic devices where you can only see a one or a couple lines at a time on a primitive LCD screen. Where you are is where you are at, and you cannot see a full page of text, so this would be an ideal device for stream-of-consciousness writing. They were popular back in the 2000's for journalists and on-the-go types, and they transfer files via USB so you can get your work off.I have never used one and I do admit that I see the appeal of these. I like the idea of just seeing the last line and focusing on that moment, and I could see how limiting your view could be a huge productivity boost. These things do not do anything else but provide a keyboard and last line view, so they would feel great for banging out that first draft.
My problem with these is longevity and file security. I would be very hesitant to put 50,000 words of a document on this device and have it be the only copy in the world, if it breaks or fries its brains, you are out of a lot of work. I really like automated backups and cloud saves, so if you used one of these you would have to adopt a backup policy of taking your work off via USB after a work session. it doesn't feel ideal to me, and I would love to have a cloud-enabled version of one of these.
The price is right at $20-50, but I don't like the "if it breaks you are out of a device forever" feeling. I want to be able to replace my tools, and I don't want to have to horde inventory of these devices to maintain a preferred work environment.
Hemingwrite
Check this out, a modern e-ink recreation of a typewriter with cloud-enabled backups. It's called the Hemingwrite. and the Kickstarter campaign completed last year, and they say they are close to shipping manufactured units this year (this month in January 2016, in fact).I feel in love with this thing when I saw it, but at around $500 I instantly had second thoughts. That is quite a bit for a dedicated device, but I can see the appeal. I would love a screen that adjusts and also a cover for the device, since I can't see this staying nice for too long with a naked top exposed to my bag and daily life.
The could-enabled sync and and re-sync back to the device is wonderful, and I love the workflow they built into this device. I also am in love with the quirky typewriter-like design, it just seems silly and kitschy but it has an appeal I just can't put my finger on. Any device that gets me into writer mode and makes me want to type is a winner in my book.
The e-ink screen is also wonderful. I would love typing on something that doesn't glow, and even though the refresh rate isn't millisecond perfect, writing on a paper-like e-ink surface would be so cool and reduce eye strain.
When writing is all I do, maybe I shall take the plunge. I can't see spending that much on a dedicated writing machine, and we are also in a super early stage for this device. I would want to wait for reviews, if they are orgasmic and super positive, I would jump in and buy. If not, I would want to wait for a version 2.0. Still, this is one worth watching.
Recycled Netbooks (Ubuntu Linux)
Let's go DIY for a moment. Take an old netbook, install Ubuntu on it, setup a cloud sync via Dropbox, and set LibreOffice to a dark green-on-black color scheme and go fullscreen. I did an entire 30,000 word book on one of these in a day and it held up wonderfully.I am not really worried about the world running out of Netbooks, most of these were built like tanks, and you can pick them up (or take them off people's hands) for very little cost. They still make them today, so if you wanted one new you could go that route.
The cons? You have a web-browser and apps, so you need to be mindful about distracting yourself into an unproductive state. Multitasking is the direct enemy of productivity, and it is a state where you think you are getting a lot done, but in actuality you are just sucking at everything you do. The good part about a netbook is the processor and small screen on these things really can't do anything well, especially anything beyond basic browsing, so you are just left with writing and editing. Seriously, these things are worse at web browsing than a smartphone, so there is a built-in punishment factor if you choose to br-br-br-owse Fa-Fa-ce-ce-bo-oo-ook all day.
I also highly recommend cloud sync with these devices. They are still old, and you don't want to wake up, turn the device on, and have it give up the goat on your 50,000 word manuscript. Document security and backups should be a priority for you should you choose to use something more than couple years old, because you don't want to be that writer on Facebook saying "I just lost all my work" because of a hardware issue. You don't want to be on Facebook period if you are writing, but that is the point of this article.
I will also place recycled Ubuntu Netbooks in the hipster category of devices, because they do lend a bit of street cred to you. You have to be savvy enough to install Linux on the device without a CD-ROM, be able to setup a distribution (it's not hard), get it configured, and learn the system (not hard, again). Once you are done, you have a very hip DIY project computer that you recycled from contributing to e-waste (super hip and cool and progressive), and that has security updates and a modern OS. Cover it with hipster stickers if you want, the more the better. If you continue to use Windows XP on these devices you will be a lamer and not a cool hipster, and also putting yourself and your work at risk.
Chromebooks
I like Chromebooks. Even after Windows 10, I like Chromebooks. I like not having PC gaming and avoiding all sorts of Windows and Mac distractions flying at you. With distraction-free apps like Calmly Writer, you can setup your Chromebook to be a single screen, dark-screen, super productive writing device with nothing else but you, a keyboard, and your text. Distraction-free writing apps exist on Mac and PC too, so it is worth checking them out should you want to go that route, but we know the PC and Mac are full of distractions, so we don't want to go that way unless we really need to.The great part about Chromebooks is that they are replaceable, cheap, good quality, and cloud-sync all the time. The bad part is that 90% of your distractions are still available to you, and you have a modern and fast computer to access them with. This is where a little-bit of self control comes into play. You need to put your writing app front and center, and not turn the thing into a distraction and app-filled mess. Yes, you could have this level of self-control on a PC or Mac and save yourself some money, but in my experience, you rarely do.
I feel there is such a thing as a primary workstation filled with all the necessary distractions of life, your games, your social media, your email, and those things we choose to wall off and make our productive spaces. To me, my Chromebook is my walled-off creative space and a place I can get some great work done. It is not my PC, it does not have the functions of a PC, and it is just here for writing. I made that choice and I stick with it, despite all of the distractions available to me.
It is not a very hipster solution, admittedly. But the world will never run out of Chromebooks, and if yours breaks, replacing it will be an easier thing. I like their inexpensive and replaceable nature, and also they are secure enough where if I lose mine or it gets stolen, for the most part I can forget about it and move on with life. A $1,500 laptop does not travel well because you are worried all the time about the damn thing. With something cheap and replaceable, I can enjoy life a lot more. That may qualify for a couple hipster points, living within your means and not being overly consumerist.
Dell makes some drool-worthy business class Chromebooks in 11 and 13 inches that make me fall in love with the concept all over again. Yes, they are more expensive and have full HD screens and i3 processors, so they kind of nullify the whole cheap and replaceable points. As a primary business machine I would seriously consider one if I were not so tied to Scrivener for final editing and e-book creation.
In Summary
There are a lot of options out there for distraction-free writing, and even apps for Macs and PCs that can do the job quite well given a little self-discipline. For me, I find maintaining a distraction-free environment difficult on a main workstation. I don't feel modern OS'es are well setup to provide 'distraction free' modes, and they by their nature encourage productivity-destroying multitasking. Modern PCs are wonders that do anything and everything well, and sometimes just having those options presented to us all at once paralyzes us with too much choice.To have a device that I purposefully limit, either through design or the choice of how I use it, is important to me. I find it increases my productivity, and it encourages me to write. The machine becomes my 'creative space' where I do one thing, and I do it well. For some, they choose to use primitive devices to get the job done, and if that works for them, great! For me, I like to be a bit more practical with an eye on freedom and file integrity and security. I rarely work without offsite backups of anything, since I value my time and want to protect my investments of it in my work.
Distraction free writing is an interesting topic because in a way it is so personal. What works for you is what works, and it likely isn't the same for everybody. Some of us could probably use a distraction free app on our workstation and it gets the job done, while others could just put Word in full-screen mode and happily type away. For others, we like creative spaces that are isolated from the rest of our lives. We like the quirky and the hipster devices, because we realize that inspiration can com from external factors, and yes, even the device on which we choose to write. If it makes you a better writer, go for it. There are a lot of feelings involved and not necessarily logic, so you can't really apply some sort of hard-and-fast rule to what works for you.
Writing is art, and the artist's choice of tools matters in both technical and subjective ways. it is that subjective part that fascinates me, because part of me feels what I write on matters in a way. There is a focus there, and also an inspiration that I want to capture and kindle. It seems silly, like it is just feelings and soft fluffy stuff; but at least for me, how I do things and where I write them matters. Yes, I can write anything anywhere, but at times I love the odd and quirky, and the removal from the ordinary workflow and everyday distractions inspires me to greater creative moments.
No comments:
Post a Comment