Flowstate Is The App Every Struggling Creative Writer Needs

Are you a struggling creative writer? Read an interview from an accomplished best-selling fiction author or listen to a writing professor in a college classroom and you’ll likely learn that “unleashing the creative flow” is the key to a person’s best work.

Easier said than done, right? Even with the best of intentions, that elusive outpouring of literary genius is likely to get stifled due to a number of everyday distractions. However, a new app called Flowstate aims to use technology to help you only focus on writing.

Helping You Steer Clear of Tempting Browser Tabs

Some might say browser tabs are both convenient and crippling for the creative process. Although it might seem like you’ll get more done if you have constant access to an online thesaurus, The AP Stylebook and your Google Drive account, a sea of browser tabs across the top section of your screen might also lead you astray when it comes to staying productive.

It may seem harmless to keep tabs for your Facebook account, Weather.com and Pinterest alongside your writing resources. However, when those other websites are literally just a click away, your attention can easily wander.

Fortunately, Flowstate has a very minimalistic interface that should assure the only thing you think about is your work. First, select a font, then an amount of time for your writing session. From then on, your only goal is to type without stopping.

Giving You a Reason to Keep Going

Plenty of word processing programs are built very simply to make it easier to stay on track. Flowstate’s most interesting function is that, if you stop typing for more than five seconds during a timed session, all your work will disappear. Specifically, it’ll gradually start fading from the screen until it’s gone.

Easing You Into Better Habits

You can set the session timer from anywhere between five and 180 minutes. If you struggle with keeping productivity high while you write, Flowstate could be the tool you need to adopt habits that’ll stick with you for a lifetime.

Although people commonly say it takes 21 days to form a new behavior, some researchers believe habits that are more difficult take longer to learn. Plus, the more you do them, the easier it is for the habit to eventually become second nature.

Initially, you may find it difficult to write continuously for even five minutes. If you stick to a plan of keeping productivity high by writing in Flowstate for 15 minutes per session, you may be pleasantly surprised at how swiftly the words come when you’re on task. You can use prompts like the events of the past day, a favorite quote or your weekend plans if you’re stuck for things to write about.

Encouraging You to Embrace Ideas

Many people fall into the pattern of editing their work as they write. However, Flowstate is an app that creates a clear distinction between writing and editing. Because its sole purpose is to capture your ideas as they come, the app could encourage you to stop doubting the early ideas that pop into your head, and just accept them as they are.

By writing first and editing later, you give new thoughts the chance to become fully developed, and maybe even turn into entire chapters.

On the other hand, when you’re too focused on editing as you go, that tactic might unintentionally kill good ideas before they really get the chance to take root in your brain and get mulled over.

The concept behind Flowstate is simple, but refreshing. We live in a world that’s chock full of things that can easily keep us from being maximally productive.

Fortunately, this app could banish writer’s block by issuing a challenge every time you set out to collect your words for later review.