What do Facebook, FitBit, and Netflix, have in common? And how is their point of intersection relevant for writers?
Yes, they all rely on technology to serve their clients, but it’s the thinking behind their technology that makes them all top of their categories.
All three companies rely heavily on human psychology when designing their applications.
For instance, Facebook knows that keeping you a bit angry will make you stay on their app for longer. Fitbit figured out that we all have a competitive streak and they gamified their app to help tens of thousands of people commit to healthy lifestyles. Netflix realized that in the time it takes the credits at the end of a show to roll, people have moved on to something else, so if you skip the credits and move immediately to the next episode, you can help people binge-watch copious quantities of TV.
Dave Chesson, in a new article on his blog on how to develop a consistent writing habit, talks about how a number of writing apps are using the gamification strategy to help writers increase their word counts – which leads to more complete projects.
These tools include Atticus, an application developed by Chesson’s company. Others he mentions are Habitica, 4theWords, Write or Die, and Written? Kitten.
His article also includes other very useful tips on forming good writing habits. We highly recommend reading it.
Author: Team VoW
Valley of Writers provides resources, tools, ideas and training for new writers. We work with a writers and contributors based around the world. Our primary focus is to equip new writers with skills to help them reach new audiences and achieve their goals.
