Yay, I finally found a writing gamification platform that works for me! So I wondered if the were other authors who might want to try one. (Some gamification sites are good for general tasks too, and not just writing. )
There’s a great range of different sites, that will suit different personalities. So here’s my journey, and the site I’ve finally chosen. (And yes, my daily word count has skyrocketed!)
I looked at a few, tried Habitica (https://habitica.com/) and still couldn’t get into it. They have a great slogan, “Gamify Your Life” and while I think it might be great for non authors, it didn’t help me. I didn’t want to fill in anything (well, other than words) and I didn’t want to be told off by the app, or feel crappy for not doing things Carrots work far better for me! Also, the sense of urgency that 4thewords creates helps, too. Because let’s face it, writing a whole book is daunting. It’s much easier and more fun when you’re able to celebrate the small steps along the way! 🙂
N.B. In the past I’d also tried Write or Die (https://writeordie.com/), but it was no fun for me. For a start, the site looks scary. Secondly I remember being totally put off by several sessions ending with me writing crap to not to lose my words. So despite it having nicer modes now, it didn’t appeal.
The writing gamification site I love
https://4thewords.comSo I went for another search and found 4thewords. It actually worked. Maybe because I’d decided now is the time to really focus on my writing and let nothing stand in the way. Or maybe its the cute monsters that are cowed by the words you write—and the little pat on the back once 444 words are reached. It’s a nice wee platform. If you want to give it a go the link is here https://4thewords.com/ And if you put in the referral code JNOPR87289, you’ll get some crystals—which I think brings the price down. I’m not entirely sure. TBH right now I’m mostly focused on getting the first draft of my stories down. 🙂
Happy writing, and doing things,
A.J.
And if you do try any of these apps, please let me know how you go! I’ve personally leapt from an average of 300 or so words a day to just over 2,000, so I’m pretty stoked.