Game On! Harnessing the Power of Gaming to Write More

by Rochelle Melander

At last week’s class, Level Up: Dream a New Dream, I talked about the benefits of using gamification to write more.

Gamification brings game elements to existing experiences to make them more engaging. It has been used in just about every area of life, including the military, advertising and marketing, and in the health industry.

I learned about this idea through the book SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver, and More Resilient. Author Jane McGonigal talks about how she used gaming to heal from a brain injury. She said, “When we play a game, we tackle tough challenges with more creativity, more determination, and more optimism. We’re also more likely to reach out to others for help.” (p. 3)

You can use gamification for just about anything, including getting your work done.

Define Your Epic Win

What would a big win look like for you? Focusing for 30 minutes? Reaching out to three clients? Choose your finish line.

Get a Secret Identity

Do you juggle day jobs, family responsibilities, and more? Having a secret identity can help you feel more powerful. Choose a favorite superhero or two that have some of the traits you use to succeed: resilience, strength, extreme vision, or courage. Create a name that will help you embody these traits. Model your name after your favorite superheroes. (Pro tip: Search Superhero Name Generator and look at the images tab. You’ll find loads of ideas)

Name Villains

A villain is anything that prevents you from achieving your goal. It can be the inner critic, online or in-person distractions, or toxic friends and colleagues. Name the villains you commonly face (thereby taking away their power) and make a plan for defeating them.

Identify Allies

We need allies to support and encourage us on our quests. Develop a list of people who can keep you accountable, encourage you, and help you celebrate. (Pro Tip: Add your future self to your list of allies and imagine that he or she is rooting you on.)

List Power-Ups

If you’ve ever played a video game, you know that power-ups give you extra energy or abilities to navigate the game, fight villains, and survive. In your work, power-ups help you renew your energy, overcome roadblocks, and finish difficult tasks. I’ve written before about how doing a repetitive activity like knitting or folding clothes can lead to finding the solution to a problem. Make a list of the activities that support you. Next time you get stuck, try a power-up to renew your energy and move forward.

Get Rewards

When runners cross the finish line, they’re often rewarded with a participant medal and, in some races, a mug of beer. How will you reward yourself after each quest? Like power-ups, rewards don’t have to be expensive or fancy. But they are special activities you don’t do every day. If you choose a reward that will delight you when you finish your quest, you’ll be even more likely to win!

Design Quests

Now, imagine that your epic win is completing a draft of your novel by the end of 2025. You need a series of quests to get you from here to there. Here are examples of some potential quests that might help you reach your epic win:

Research Quest: Study the clothing choices for a woman in 1880s France
Writing Quest: Write a scene for your book
Plotting Quest: Write a list of potential scenes for your book
Editing Quest: Apply my critique group’s edits to chapter four
Submission Quest: Query five agents
Promotion Quest: Connect with five bloggers about potential guest posts

Once you’ve developed and played a few quests, you’ll get a sense of which quests work best. You’ll also know what power-ups renew your energy the most and which types of rewards will motivate you. You’ll be better able to design quests that help you reach your goals.

Ready, Set, Go!

Writers spend a good chunk of their lives alone, in our heads, making stuff up. When we’re pre-published, we may be working without deadlines or any other kind of external accountability. Gamifying our work lives can help us stay focused on our goals and write more.

Make your gameplay easier with body doubling. Show Up and Write gives you one of the best tools for getting writing done: a group to hold you accountable and work with you. We currently meet three times a week for half the price of last year.

Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander is an author and ADHD-trained professional certified coach. She helps wildly creative people get stuff done. From writing and publishing books to finishing that work project–she’s got you covered. If you’re struggling to start or finish a project, connect with Rochelle to create a personalized plan for overcoming procrastination, dealing with distraction, and staying focused. Book a private consultation: https://writenowcoach.com/consultation/