The Good Patrons of 750 Words

2 cups

I’m hardly a model user of this site. I’ve missed days, slapped up random crap on days when I didn’t want to write, and counted down every 100 words on days when I didn’t have anything to say. I’ve used my daily words to brainstorm for essays or novels, to record what happened during my day, to repeat the same old complaints about my life and my personality. Many days I’ve written, not because I want to, or because I have something to say, or even because I’m dedicated to the site, but just because I can be competitive and I didn’t want my streak to vanish.

But despite that, looking back at what I’ve written since I joined the site, I find things of value. I find a genuine record of my thought process, something I can go back to later to see how I solved a particular problem or how often I’ve felt a certain way. I’ve been using the metadata feature since early January and that’s equally valuable as a shorthand to track things I consider important. Even the days where I literally counted down every 100 words (and those are more common than I’d like to admit) have something to offer, if only as proof that I can take things far too seriously. 750 words lets me, as a dedicated introvert who specializes in overthinking things, get out of my own head a bit and step back. Seeing my thoughts in black and white brings perspective and can act as either a wake up call or an endorsement that I’m moving in the right direction with whatever I’m thinking about.

I might not be the poster child for users here, but the site has made its way into my daily routine and I’m grateful for it.

Also, watching my typing speed increase over time has been delightful.