The Good Patrons of 750 Words

1 cup

As a graduate student, writing can be elusive at times and, as a person, life does not always go as expected or wanted causing stress and decreasing motivation to write. Also, as a person who ruminates a lot, I often find it difficult to focus because my mind will not be quiet.

I learned about this site at a dissertation writing seminar as a way to stimulate writing, but it has been so much more. The explanation and justification for this site is perfect and the way that it is designed and the tools that are available have really encouraged me to try it and to continue writing. This site has become a place where I can quiet my mind, by unloading – with no rules – and then have the freedom to think about what ever I would like to think about the rest of the day (even if it is fantasizing about what I will write about on 750words.com the next day). I have built some rules around my writing, like I only allow myself to write on the site once a day, which is very doable considering that it only takes me 20 minutes to write 750 words. The time writing everyday has become my sacred time where I can explore every inch of my mind while being tethered to the present which has had a great positive impact on reducing my ruminating and increasing my ability to focus. Additionally, writing about the day’s events helps me to process my stress, figure out viable solutions or at the very least, unburden my mind.

750words.com is very dynamic and tailorable with plenty of reward systems (badges, challenges, acknowledgment of word goal achievement, etc) and ways to engage in a social capacity while still having my work remain as private as I would like it to be. The analysis of the entry is a nice touch too because it allows me to evaluate and know what I have written without going back to read over it. The no rules part is liberating because it allows me to just write; I don’t have to think about sentence structure or typos or other things that might slow me down while writing. While I often write in the morning, having the whole day to accomplish the goal allows me to have flexibility. My life has changed in unexpected ways as I am able to focus better and understand myself better, regarding my goals, attributes, weaknesses, and how I plan to move forward. Thirty-seven days in and still going strong.