The Friends & Members of 750 Words

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Aargh! I blew my streak after 123 days. Oh well. I’m back in the saddle today.

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I just few hours ago finished my bit over 2000 words for today. My streak now stands at 365 days. A full year. It was exactly on June 1st last year when I pledged to not let my streak break off again, like it had so many times before. I had been on this site over a year already by then, but my longest streak stood at around only 100 days then.

Lot has happened in the year since. I started my own video blog, published a non-fiction book on Kindle, even went to Japan and back. I’ve written a bunch of short stories, and even do some paid writing now. I can without exaggeration call myself a writer now.

750words has played a huge role in that transformation. Sure, I’ve cheated by shifting the time zones every now and then to keep my streak alive. I don’t really care. What matters to me is that I’ve written at least 750 words for every roughly 24-hour period. I knew I could always burst out a lot of words at once, but do it only sporadically. 750words has taught me consistency.

It has taught me to come day in, day out to pound in my words. To drip good material out. There’s still lot to improve. I want to be professional, and for a professional 750 words isn’t enough. But without this as a start, I couldn’t have done it.

My journey on this site isn’t still over. I still have some badges to get, namely my space bird and NaNoWriMo badges, and thanks to the ability to customize the color scheme of the writing environment (for some reason I like green text on a black background), it has become my preferred way of writing. The built-in tracking of time, word count and other interesting stuff just makes this site all the more useful.

At first when I heard the service was going to no longer be free I felt I’d not continue using it. Of course, it stayed free for us old users. But reflecting back now, I feel like it still would be worth paying a bit of money. I hope buster has time and inspiration to further build on this site – it might already be the breeding ground of some great writers of the future – and present.

So here I end my reflection. It’s been full year of continuous writing, 679 total completed days, and nearly 600 000 words written. That’s incredible when you think of it. My life wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t discover this site back when I did. It funny how such a simple idea executed well can really change people’s lives.

Thanks Buster.

Jarkko Helenius (you’ll find me on Google :P)

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Day One of the Writing Challenge!
Good luck everybody – now get writing!

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I’ve been in a writing rut for quite some time, and it was really getting on my nerves how I wasn’t even able to string together 5 sentences for a simple fanfiction. (My preferred medium of choice, at least at the moment.)

I saw someone mention 750words on Tumblr about a month ago and I thought, “Hey, why not, it certainly can’t hurt or make you write less than you’re currently writing.”

I won’t lie and say that as soon as I registered my muse came crushing through the door and made this an incredibly easy endeavour in the past month. Some days were good, some were not so good, but I was, and am, doing the best I can with what I’ve got. And I’ve come to the conclusion that even “just” writing 750 words every day is something that is incredibly motivating.

So far I’ve written about 30k for a single fanfiction, something I’ve never done before (it usually ends way beneath 10k), and I’m not even finished yet! I couldn’t even imagine something like that a single month ago, even though writing a story that has >50k words has always been a dream of mine.

The badges are a fantastic thing as well. I’m a pretty competitive person when it comes to things that even remotely resemble a game, and those badges made it easier to push through the days where I had no inspiration at all. („No, you will write now because look at the shiny badge you’ll get if you get out of your funk now. Even if it is 750 words of complete garbage, you’ll soldier through.“) I have a nice array of badges now, today I got the Albatross (30 days in a row) and it motivated me enough to enter for the June competition and also to put my appreciation for 750words into words.

Writing 750 words, even if it doesn’t sound like very much, every day is a wonderful exercise. “Just 750 words” amount to a lot of words over the month, and it nice to see how much work you accomplished, even when you feel that you did absolutely nothing in that month. (The wordcount doesn’t lie.) These days I’m really looking forward to the time I set aside for my (at least) 750 words. I treat everything I write like my personal NaNoWriMo (meaning I write now and edit everything at a later date), and that is extremely liberating.

In conclusion, I’m looking forward to the June Challenge, and all the badges that might come in my future. :)

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Break a leg, everybody!!!! <3K

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I have been writing my 750 right when I get into work. It’s early in the morning, and it’s a good way to start my day. It makes me mindful of what I want for my day, and who I am that day. However, that’s at work. When I write at home, I think it would be easier (and maybe enlightening) to see what I’m thinking about first thing in the morning – or last thing at night. I’d like to try that out, and it would just be a lot easier to do if it was on my iPad/iPhone. Also – I think it would make it more accessible for people who aren’t always near a computer every day. For those people, they might never get higher streaks because they just don’t have easy access….

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I wish 750words.com had for you a folder of all previous monthly challenges, the results (succeeded or not) and what you promised in each case.

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So, another monthly challenge done. Piece of cake.

When I run a race, I simply don’t stop running, and I watch the little jack rabbits sprint out of the gate, but then I watch me pass them at the 1/4, half-way, or at the 3/4 mark, and I run the race, all the way, to win.

For the monthly writing challenge here, I watch 1200 people to 2000 people sign up every month, and I watch me finish the the less than 400 winners, every month.

Ergo, the one cup of patronage in this inspired note, right back at you, Buster.

750words.com has changed how I portray myself. I used to be consistently ‘Introverted-Positive-Uncertain-Feeling’ in my writing. So, now, I ask myself: ‘How do I wish to be today?’ And that day, I go for ‘Extroverted,’ or, now, consistently, and recently, I’ve been going for ‘Certain,’ or if I’m a tear of a rant, I’m going to go for a big blast of ‘Negative,’ and just get it out in my writing.

It’s liberating: I can choose how I wish to be now, and I do choose that, and it shows up in the analyses. And I see that in my interaction with people now at work and at home, ‘Hm,’ I say to myself, ‘I can be dogmatic on this issue and fight for what’s right and bulldoze, or I can compromise with this person and work with them for something that works better for them and that I can live with … how do I choose to proceed?’ and I get to choose, and I see the results in their faces.

It’s an amazing and powerful feeling, knowing that how I am with other people is how I choose to be, and these fights I’ve always gotten into before, because it was the right thing to do, were the choices I’ve made, and I can still fight them, or I can compromise my stance and work with another person.

And have fun.

Since joining 750words.com, and then intentionally choosing my moods and outlook, I’ve had a lot more fun these day at work, working with people, or fighting for a particular point, and winning or losing that point, but just having fun doing it, and having with fun with the people I work with, because things don’t bother me like I use to let them bother me before.

And I’ve been writing. Twenty new chapters to my story “My Sister Rosalie” these past six months and I’ve made people hate me and then forgive me and then cry as my characters reach deeply into themselves, as I reach deeply into myself, writing, and try to make this thing called life work and try to see each other as more than frenemies, but somebody you have to live with, somebody who has cares and concerns, too, somebody you can help get through their struggles, just by being there, listening, and trying to understand.

Writing every day on 750words.com lets me write to my novel, publishing, sometimes four chapters in a week: twenty-thousand words, and lets me look into myself and see myself in my characters and see in other people an actual person who has hopes, dreams, fears, and a job to get done, and admire them, now, just as they are.

Gosh, this writing stuff is neat!

Thanks, Buster!

love, geophf

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You think it’s such an easy thing. To write for 20 minutes everyday and just sorta clear your head. I had no idea how much sterngth I would find in these writings. That after only a month how much more I like myself and appreciated myself. I feel strong and I feel grounded in my decisions which feels amazing! Writing on 750words.com really has made my life so much easier and the best investement I’ve ever made in myself.

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Just write. Thats what i tell myself. What better place to “just write” then here? I dont know, thats why i write here. I love the site, its beautiful, simple, inviting. There is something about writing here that motivates me. Im happy to support. I hope someday i can support more.

Thanks,
S

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I had a streak of 204. I lost it on Tuesday. I don’t even remember forgetting. I just logged in on Wednesday and saw that everything was gone, trying to rack my brains, and remember the fact that I must have forgotten the day before. I wasn’t even ill or anything, I’d just had a busy day. Disheartened, but pleased at my new streak record to beat, I’m on 6 days. Only 199 days to go to beat my highest streak.

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I have been a really horrible 750words.com user. In fact, I go months without using the site. And then I feel really bad about myself. But I made an end-of-the-school-year resolution with myself to write. To write everyday. So far my goal is just 750 words, but I’m trying to get to a thousand. I love the way the site works. There isn’t anything to it except the writing. The way the analytics works on my subconscious is super fun to look at and analyze. This is by the far the best writing tool I have ever used in all of history ever. Thank you so much for it.

Stay beautiful,
Samantha

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Nothing has made me as happy as writing every day and then seeing more or less what my subconscious is concerned with. What an amazing website with amazing features and creative spaces.

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such a lovely clean space that encourages me to organize my thoughts and write. I love the way this site rewards writing regularly, and makes it all so nice and simple.

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I always had a lot of problems focusing on something. I like to write, I like it a lot, but somehome I feel intimidated, by the people who read me, by the pressure, thinking that I can’t write good enough, or have good enough ideas.
750words lifts this pressure from me, because I can start my writing activities with something that is and will always be private. I really like this concept, and I hope I will be here with all of you for a long time.

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To make a way to title entries and organize them so it is easier to find specific ones in the future

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I haven’t written much in the past year. 750 Words really got me into journaling for a while, and when I broke my streak I was heartbroken and I stopped. I realized I was only writing because of the streak, not for me. So I stopped.

I just learned of the changes coming and I totally applaud Buster and Kellianne for making the choice to change the site. Even when I wasn’t writing regularly I was buying patronage because I believe in the concept.

I’m coming through some rough times (in my head) and I think one way through them is to pull out my keyboard and start putting down my 750 words again. It’s a commitment to myself, more than a streak. And I am grateful it will continue to be there when I decide to take up digital pen and scribe my life for a moment.

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What I like the most about this site is:
It makes me accountable (especially with that great new feature of being emailed in the morning!) and I use it the way on stretches before doing a sport… it gets my fingers going across the keyboard and makes my mind more flexible for a day a writing.

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Today marks two years’ of continuous writing for me. Yes, I did count the 2012 Leap Day in there. I am extraordinarily grateful for how much stronger and clear headed I feel due to this safe place for expression during a time of extra challenge in life. Writing continuously for two years has helped me refocus on my many blessings, first and foremost being my partner, Josh. I think one of my favorite parts of this two year writing journey was being able to recommend your site in an interview with the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Thank you, 750words.com!

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Good job to everyone who completed the monthly challenge!

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Hi there. Did I qualify for the Nano badge in April? That was my goal, and it looks like I succeeded. I know it’s just a badge, but it would be meaningful if it showed up. Those badges have been motivating to me.

Thanks,
Eric

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Crack! The sound when my mighty albatross folded its wings and retreated back to an egg. I was feeling poorly yesterday, put off writing, then forgot… until it was too late! 10 cups bounty represent the 10 days remaining for this month, and a symbol of hope for the next.

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Just got my first flock badge. Very exciting. And thrilling to know that all I did was persevere. What a joy this site is in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And that includes all of you who share your journeys in these notes. Peace and blessings.

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Do you know where I get my inspiration from?

From your notes of inspiration.

When I read that you met some personal challenge to write so many days, or so many words, and you did that, and doing that, you now believed in yourself?

Or you set yourself to write, but then you failed, and you beat yourself up, or you forgave yourself, and you vowed to do better next time, and you did, or you didn’t, but you tried again, when you wouldn’t have pushed yourself in your life this way before …

And succeeding here, or failing, you took that into your own life, and you had a baby, and became a better mother, or you finished school, or you got a job, …

And you looked in the mirror, and you saw yourself, and you liked the person you saw, finally, for the first time in your life, or finally, again, after a very long, long time …

When, at 9 am, each morning, I read these words as I prepare for my daily morning meeting at work, …

My day could’ve have been bad or good or blah or exciting, but reading your notes, your thoughts, dreams, and resolutions, my day just became way better than it was, no matter how it was, because I see you, struggling, trying, succeeding, crying, and I’m happy to know you, another human being, doing the best that you can, and surprising yourself that you can do even better than you possibly imagined you ever could, you being who you thought you were.

And it’s all because 750words.com was there, and you chose to write.

Please keep writing, please keep sharing your victories and failures, your struggles and successes.

Your inspiration inspires me.

love, geophf

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Having badges that encourage me not to break my streak is so awesomely motivational and it’s really encouraged me to get back into writing. I’ve been sad for a few months now because uni work’s been taking up a lot of my time, but this is encouraging me just to write anything – and as it turns out, 750 words isn’t so difficult – easy enough to fit in around uni work :) So maybe I’ll get my novel finished! Yay :D

Thanks 750 words!

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As a productivity coach who works with owners of Very Small Businesses, I regularly recommend 750words to clients who need to get faster and more fluent at writing about their businesses, those who need a place to un-knot the tangle of personal and business issues, and those who want to be more conscious as they move through each and every day. I love how the site is clean, safe, and easy to manage – I feel good recommending it to my people. One of my clients recently made it onto The Wall of Awesomeness, and now we use that as proof that she is indeed Awesome and the template of how she can follow through to triumph.

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As a teacher I figure I wrote for a living, maybe not a novel but writing was my bread and butter. Writing my thesis for my Master’s was a year’s worth of writing and re writing.

You can image my joy now that I have retired to rediscover the joy of writing for the pleasure of writing. I have started two books, I am using this site as a way to keep my mind and fingers agile on those days when writers block keeps me from the book. Somehow just getting started here opens the door for more.

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I’ve written every day for fifty days, and it’s given me this wonderful sense that I can trust myself. And it’s given me a place to come back and understand how I was thinking and feeling at this time in my life, which is not easy to come by any other way than putting in the time and effort to write every day.

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How about reaching a million words? I like that, since I’ve reached that and earned nothing. I’m at a point where I’ve gotten almost every single badge on here. Almost.