4theWords is 4 the Writers: An Easy Way to Gamify Your Writing

4theWords = 4 the Writers

Writing is a job that I love, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t occasionally feel like a chore. Happens with any job, right? So when I hit a particularly difficult slog through my plot, I’m always looking for ways that make even those difficult parts fun. Enter: 4theWords.

If you’re not familiar with 4thewords, it’s a website that aims to gamify a writing habit. Basically, it’s an RPG game. You battle monsters, earn points, accomplish goals, and move throughout the world by knocking out specific word count goals. Boss levels equal higher word count goals.

While you try it out, the first month is free. After that, a site membership is only $4 a month, which is a price tag I consider extremely reasonable for something that gets me writing!

4thewords appeals to the fantasy readers within us writers, I think. By vanquishing monsters in order to complete quests, we unlock more of the story that the game tells. We open new parts of the world–what fantasy lover and writer wouldn’t love that?!

But the advantages to the game don’t end there.

One of the aspects I like best is the ability to form a writing “streak” on 4thewords. A streak is defined as writing 444 words a day, which is a pretty manageable word count goal as you build up your writing muscle!

Finally, I love that it backs up your writing. Personally, I always copy and paste the writing I’ve done into a Scrivener file, but I love that it’s in two places so that I am less likely to lose any writing. It also makes it easier to pick up my writing where I’ve left off if I’m hopping into 4thewords on someone else’s computer (*cough* like the day job’s *cough cough*).

Have you used 4thewords? Would you consider trying it?

Want to read a book written almost entirely in 4thewords? One of our authors, Jennifer Ellision, is using the site to write her book, The Wrong Witch. It’s one of 25 science fiction and fantasy books included in Rogue Skies: a limited edition collection that you can get for just $0.99!

And remember, when you preorder, you’ll also get Rogue’s Gallery- a collection of 19 more stories— for FREE! That’s 44 books for under $1!