Gamification and Writing: It Really Works

Do you have difficulty focusing on writing? Do you start working on a book and then have trouble finishing it? Maybe you struggle to complete your blog posts and articles for your WA site. It's very common, particularly for those who have ADHD.

I struggled with this for years, even as a professional freelancer. But last year, I learned about gamification. Or rather, I learned about gamification for writing, which was something that I never would have worked out on my own.

What Is Gamification?

Simply put, gamification is making a game out of what you need to get done. In this case, writing. So, how do you make writing a game? I'm sure there are a number of ways to do this, but the method I found is on a website called 4theWords.

Why I Use 4theWords

Basically, 4theWords creates a world where you can fight monsters, collect treasures and goods, earn game tokens, and compete against other players. And you do it all with words. They have section where you write and your words and speed are all counted.

You need to choose a monster to fight. These range from super fast 50 word monsters up to multiple thousands of words. They're also timed. When you type, every word you enter is used to fight against the monster you've chosen. Then, when you beat the monster, they drop loot for you.

The loot and tokens can be used as you work your way through the game. You'll need them to craft armor and weapons to make your fights more efficient, and to decorate your home. You can also purchase or win different outfits and such to make your character unique.

Overall, it's a lot of fun! Oh, and you get streaks if you write 444 words each day. Keep up your streak for long enough and you get special sets of wings for certain streak lengths.

The site recently added multiplayer options. If you've ever done a sprint with another writer, you know how helpful it can be to work with someone else. Well, 4theWords lets you do that with up to 7 other people, as you all work to fight bigger monsters and complete unique challenges. I personally enjoy this, because you can see how many words each person has written as you're working and see where you fit into the mix.

Could Gamification Work for You?

Not everyone enjoys video games, but I feel like this is something that will work for a lot of people. It's just that extra bit of motivation to get you writing each day. You feel like you've accomplished something bigger once you've finished your writing.

Full disclosure: this site is a paid one. You can test it out for free and it ends up being ridiculously cheap, like $4 a month, if you purchase a certain amount of time. It's well worth it, in my opinion, but anything that will help you write can be a good way to go.

Have you tried 4theWords? What did you think of it? And if you haven't, is it something that you'd be interested in trying?