Online Stay-Focused-on-Writing Tools

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where writers are challenged to write a novel in a month.  I'm not trying to write a novel in a month, but it's made me think about the kind of focus it takes for writing.  Unfortunately, when I'm struggling with a scene, I have a bad, bad habit of  skipping over to the Internet to check out things that are suddenly of vital importance, like when did Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith start United Artists?  Yeah, that's interesting film history, but it has nothing to do with the contemporary romantic suspense novel I'm writing.

Fortunately, there's some handy online tools to help writers stay focused.   I'll start with my go-to anti-distraction tool, whose name says it all.

Write or Die by Dr. Wicked

Write or Die is my favorite anti-distraction tool.  When I know it's time to light the fire and write, write, write, I use Write or Die.  It costs $10, and it lives up to its claim that it puts the "prod" in productivity.  

From its website:

Write or Die is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you’re fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences.

You can set up how "punishing" those consequences are, from gentle (my choice) to kamikaze (strict!).

Other Online Anti-Distraction Tools

Below are a few more online stay-focused-on-writing tools, all of which are free.  

750 Words: The name sums it up: Write 750 words, or approximately 3 pages (based on 250 words/page).  A gentle prod for productivity.

Ommwriter: The Zen approach to staying focused on your writing. Available on Mac, PC and iPad.  

FocusWriter: A "distraction-free writing environment" whose features include alarms, timers and daily goals.  Available on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.

Happy writing!

Apps for Writers: Evernote, Idea Sketch, Write or Die

Although I still carry a small notebook and pens wherever I go, I also use apps on my laptop, iPhone and iPad for writing as well.  Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite apps--the first two are great for ideas and structuring a story, the third for cranking out the words.

Evernote: This app lets you capture everything from ideas to photos to web page clips to audio.  Although I have the app on my Mac, iPhone and iPad, I tend to only use it on my iPad (it's easy to cart someplace to write, yet large enough to not feel cramped for space when using it).  Later, I can look up my notes "on the go" with my iPhone if I want.  Evernote is also available on PCs, btw.  You can get the free version or for a small fee (something like $2.99) the bells & whistles version.  I use the free version and it's great.

 I used Evernote to capture ideas for my next book--I enjoyed being able to categorize topics as well as set tags for my different notes.  It was then a breeze to refresh my memory on ideas by looking them up via tags.

To "see" how a writer uses Evernote, check out writer Christopher Gronlund's YouTube "Evernote for Writers" that offers step-by-step directions.

Idea Sketch (for iPhone & iPad): This app is great for those of us who like to see the "big picture" as we're structuring a story. You can craft your ideas as a mind or concept map/flow chart, then see the layout in text (or vice versa).  I use the free version, but there's also a premium version for $3.99.

Write or Die.  I know, it sounds heavy.  But sometimes, especially when you're facing a deadline, what you need is a heavy push to write, write, write.  This app is available for the PC (although I easily downloaded it to my Mac) and iPad, and costs a minimal amount (currently $4.99 and worth every penny).

The app has built-in "punishments" but for me, writing can be punishing enough without making it more so!  Punishments aside, you can set word goals and time goals, then save your writing to a text file, Dropbox, email or clipboard.  A writer-friend recommended this app (she actually wrote an entire novel in 2 weeks--no, I'm not kidding--and the darn book was nominated for a prestigious award, too!  Of course, she's a NYT-bestselling author so she certainly knows her craft, but she swears Write or Die helped her meet that crazy-tight deadline.

I use other writing apps, but these are three of my faves.  What about you?  Got an app that you love for writing?

Researching a Book: Sinatra Wanted Certain Pictures Taken Down When He Dined

I like to do on-site research, whenever possible, for my stories.  While writing my current book The Next Right Thing (release date March 2013), which is set in Las Vegas, I wanted an "old Vegas" type of Italian restaurant for the story.  Trolling the Internet, I found Piero's.

What a find!  The restaurant, off the Las Vegas strip, just celebrated its 30-year-anniversary.  Here's an excerpt from its website, with details that make a writer's creativity drool:

The list of notables who have visited Piero's is long and impressive. Former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton are customers, along with Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.  Las Vegas regulars include Jerry Lewis, Mike Tyson, Phyllis McGuire, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

"No one gets bothered in our restaurant," he said. "I don't care who the celebrity is or what they have done, they come here to enjoy the food, and I see to it they are allowed to dine in peace... No exceptions!"

A portion of the movie "Casino," starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone, was shot in Piero's.

My husband, who had a Las Vegas business trip coming up, said, "Let's eat there."  We made reservations.

I'd already researched the restaurant, read its stories, from Sinatra ordering all pictures of the Kennedy brothers (John and Bobby) being taken down when he ate there, to Sylvester Stallone refusing to leave his table and his wonderful dinner despite the "little" problem of water seeping onto the floor and his shoes during a plumbing crisis.

This kind of stuff is a writer's wet dream.

During my husband's business trip, we visited the restaurant three times.  I'd like to say it was pure research, but the truth is, the food is amazing.  I ate what the characters ate in the book.  I drank what the characters drank.  I took photos of the dining room, the bar, even the guy who parked the cars.  

​"The Boss" didn't like pictures of the Kennedys around as he dined.

I interviewed waiters, learned their histories, why they're working there, what they think of the place.  One waiter, who shall remain nameless, said, "A lot of people think this restaurant is a Mafia hangout, but it's not.  Really."

I hadn't asked about the Mafia, but he felt compelled to offer that tid-bit on his own.  

On-site research.  Nothing like it.

Writing a Psychopathic Character? The FBI Has Some Articles for You

Dear Clarice, I have followed with enthusiasm the course of your disgrace...

Remember that letter from Hannibal Lecter to Clarice Starling in the movie Silence of the Lambs?  Lecter, the psychopathic shrink with a fancy for human flesh, was chillingly, frighteningly memorable. If you're writing a psychopathic character, here's a handy, free resource for you:  The July 2012 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin is dedicated to psychopaths. The issue contains the following articles:

Psychopathy: An Important Forensic Concept for the 21st Century
Understanding the mind of psychopaths and assessing their personality and behavioral traits can help authorities design more effective interviewing strategies.

Looking Behind the Mask: Implications for Interviewing Psychopaths
With proper preparation, knowledge, and understanding of psychopathy, interviewers can recognize a true psychopathic personality.

The Language of Psychopaths: New Findings and Implications for Law Enforcement
A study using human coders found differences in the speech of psychopaths and nonpsychopaths.

All fascinating topics!  To read these articles, click here (article links are on right side of page).

---

SECRETS OF A REAL-LIFE FEMALE PRIVATE EYE is a part-memoir, part-reference nonfiction book based on the experiences of a professional private investigator and writer. Audiences: researchers, writers, detective-fiction fans, armchair detectives and those curious about the real world of private investigators. 

"This is a real eye opener... full of surprises and unexpected resources!" ~ Amazon Top Reviewer

---

Dogs and Evidence: Sniffing Out the Truth?

There's been some stories lately in the media about people being falsely accused of crimes based on "dog sniff" evidence.  These stories are interesting for writers, too, as some of us might be crafting a story with police dogs or an instance where a dog's sense of smell seemingly points to evidence.

Using Drug-Sniffing Dogs in Legal Cases

Police dogs are trained to detect certain odors, such as scents from the human body or the odors emitted by illegal drugs. However, there is a high possibility of a false positive because in a drug case, for example, the presence of an odor does not necessarily mean contraband was located in a targeted area. 

From a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, the SCOTUSblog recently quoted an analysis of three years of data from suburban Chicago police departments, which stated that only 44 percent of alerts by dogs to vehicles in roadside encounters produced drugs or paraphenalia.

Using Dogs to Sniff Out the Guilty in Line-Ups

There's also been a problem relying on dogs to sniff out guilty people in police line-ups.  In 2004, the FBI warned that dog scent work "should not be used as primary evidence" but only to corroborate other evidence.  The New York Times story "Picked from a Lineup, on a Whiff of Evidence" tells the story of two men who each served months in prison based on a police dog selecting them from lineups despite there being no other evidence that the men were guilty of the crimes.  In one case, Ronald Curtis was "sniffed" out to be guilty of burglary although surveillance video of the crime showed that Curtis didn't at all resemble the burglar.

To see some wonderful pictures of police dogs (from the blog CrimLaw), click here.

The Bloodhound Nose

Several years ago, I took a workshop from a private investigator who specialized in bloodhound searches.  Here's a few facts about bloodhounds and their smelling abilities:

• A bloodhound can smell a 6-week-old human fingerprint.

• A bloodhound holds all records for trailing (a 17-day-old trail and 138 miles)

• Their drools and slobber help humidify and steam the scent, thus enhancing it.  Their nose membranes stay moist so scent molecules can reach olfactory receptor sites easily.

• Their long ears scoop up scent.

• Their loose skin helps get through underbrush and holds scent near the head.

• Their deep chest allows processing of lots of air by the nose.

Have a great weekend, Colleen

FBI Website: A Writer's Toolbox

FBI New Agent Training​ (courtesy of FBI)

Writing a mystery or thriller and want to do a quick study on the latest techniques for analyzing fingerprints?  Maybe you want to write a character who commits fraud, and you'd like details on a specific type of scheme.  Or perhaps you're writing a CSI-like story and want to learn more about crime scene surveys, forensic facial imaging, or  pick up a few key details about how an FBI special agent in training learns about identifying and excavating human remains.​

You can study these things and much more at the FBI website.​

For example, on their page "Scams & Safety," there's a listing of several dozen topics broken into categories such as "About Dangerous Criminals," "About Frauds," and "On the Internet." That first one, "About Dangerous Criminals," has an article "How to Spot and Report Espionage," that discusses how spies haven't gone the way of the Cold War, in fact, they're more prolific than ever.  Juicy stuff for stories--and you're researching your data from the source.

​Want details about the FBI swat team? There's a page for that, too, that includes a breakdown of the tools of the trade, from helmet and goggles to weapons.  Additional pages describe the work and tools of FBI divers and FBI bomb technicians.

​The FBI also provides downloads of photos, such as the ones on today's post, for free, no permission required.  Cool stuff for blogs, presentations, and of course that never-ending task for writers--research.

Happy writing!  Colleen​

FBI Agent 1939 (courtesy of FBI)​

FBI Dive Team Boat (courtesy of FBI)​

New York FBI SWAT Team member (courtesy of FBI)​

FBI Bomb Technician Vehicle (courtesy of FBI)​

A Private Eye Tool: The Smartphone

In the Not-So-Long-Ago Days...

I used to lug around all kinds of equipment for my investigations, such as digital and video cameras, cell phone, notebooks, pens, digital recorders, flashlight, magnifying glass, measuring tape and more. However, my smartphone now contains a lot of these tools as apps. Yes, even the measuring tape! I also have apps to do language translations, capture video if motion is detected, capture public data about homes, and much more.

Keeping Devices Charged

Back when I lugged around a bag or two of equipment, I had to always ensure some devices had been charged sufficiently so they'd have enough "juice" when I was out in the field. Just my luck if I hadn't taken the time to charge my cell phone or the video camera or any other item!

Winging It

When a digital camera, for example, ran out of power, I'd have to wing it. If I had a video camera with me, I'd use its photo feature to take still shots. But I avoided using the camera on my cell phone because the quality was so shoddy, and I didn't want to insert amateurish, cheap-looking photos into an investigative report. Good news is that today's smartphones take clear, usable photos and video.

These days I need to always keep the smartphone charged. Fortunately, we have battery chargers in both of our vehicles to help with this.

Smartphone Apps for Investigators

To read more about smartphone apps for PIs, click on the below article links. Some I wrote for my "sister" site Guns, Gams and Gumshoes; others are written by other P.I.s on their sites (in no particular order):

12 Essential Smartphone Apps Worth Investigating (Pursuit Magazine)

Must-Have iPhone Apps for the Private Investigator #3 (P.I. Advice)

Must-Have iPhone Apps for the Private Investigator part 2 (P.I. Advice)

Must-Have iPhone Apps for the Private Investigator part 1 (P.I. Advice)

iPhone Apps for Private Investigators (Guns, Gams and Gumshoes)

More iPhone Apps for Private Investigators (Guns, Gams and Gumshoes)

I still carry a pen and pad for taking notes, but I also take notes by typing them into my smartphone, which I can then email to myself/client.​