The Friends & Members of 750 Words

750 Words exists because of mutual good will between the people that run this site (Buster & Kellianne) and the people who use it (you). The site wouldn't exist without the generosity, patience, and humor of everyone involved. For the first 3+ years that the site was running (Dec 2009 to May 2013), the site was free to use but with some encouragement to donate. That served us well (and most importantly, generated enough income to keep the site up), but as the site grew the need for support also grew.

On June 12th 2013, all existing users of the site were given lifetime free accounts (we hope you'll continue to donate when you can). New accounts created after June 12th, 2013 are now required to become members within 30 days after signing up in order to keep writing. Everyone will always have access to previous writings, stats, etc, even if they choose not to become members.

We're listening to your feedback and want to make sure that first and foremost, we offer a friendly and safe place for people to dump their private thoughts. I expect that we'll continue to adjust the way this all works for the near term. Thanks for being an awesome community!

Who runs this site?

Our names are Buster and Kellianne, we live in Berkeley, California with our two sons (Niko and Louie) and this is something we've built and run in our spare time.

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Notes of inspiration from members

1 cup
pronoun exemption- frequently used words

“Frequently used words” ends up being mostly: he, she, I, you, it…. etc. It would be nice if these words (plus words like “the, and, this, that”) were excluded so the topic of writing that day would be clearer.
Thanks!

New Feature Request Note from Laura Lynn Lazarus on Tue, May 11
1 cup
Change the way the ranking is calculated.

I’d like to see the rankings changed to account for ties in a clearer way. It’s a little annoying to see “You’re in 153rd place!” when I have exactly the same number of points as the person in 1st place! I’m not sure how the rankings are calculated with ties, but I assume it has something to do with when people write their words, and since I’m on the Pacific Coast, I’m never going to catch up to people in earlier time zones. I’d like to see the ties counted as all the same place (so, tied for 1st or 3rd or whatever), or base it on something more meaningful than when you wrote your entry (maybe accounting for words per minute, streak length, or something like that).

New Feature Request Note from Sara Chatfield on Tue, May 11
3 cups
More badges for accomplishments

I too would love to see more badges. I only know of one more remaining (Phoenix) and I’m still 2 months away from that. Some ideas I’ve had that may or may not be good):

  • Hitting exactly 750 words in an entry
  • Something between 30 days and 100 (like others have said it’s a long long time between albatross and phoenix)
  • Having entries that focus most on each of the areas in the analysis
  • Consistently doing more than 750 words (or is this the Inspired badge that already exists?)
  • Maybe something based on distractions beyond the Undistractable badge? A longer period of time maybe?
  • A lot of the badges (maybe even all of them) could have bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels (or number of feathers or some other distinction of levels) which would provide a lot more badges quickly and keep the emphasis on the things that are important.

Thanks, Buster!

New Feature Vote from Andy Tinkham on Tue, May 11
1 cup
More badges for accomplishments

Hedgehog for 2 months, perchance?

New Feature Vote from Anonymous on Mon, May 10
1 cup

Buster, your site has helped me realign my work-life balance intellectually. After I was informed of my tenure, I was not exactly sure how to re-knit my life interests with my professional obligations. This site, with it’s challenges and small motivations is absolutely perfect for this work-life reconnection. Thanks!

Testimonial Note from Anonymous on Mon, May 10
1 cup

At the start of this year I came across the book, The Artist’s Way. And despite all the mumbo jumbo in the book I found a useful tool, the morning pages. I loved the writing the morning pages, but when I found 750 words dot com, my journal got ditched.

Why I loved the journal and 750 words:
• The journal works equally good as 750 word as a place to dump the stuff that is going all in my head, to free some space so I can think things through.
• I feel as if since I have a rather modestly large target I take time to reflect in a way acting as a scaffold to allow me to process my thoughts more

Why in the end I have dumped my journal
• I actually write more on 750 words than my journals because am part of that generation that grew up as screenagers. It is more natural for me to type for a longer period of time than write it down.
• It maybe very sad of me to confess this but I find the badges a great motivator
• The daily nudge keeps me fired up when I see that others have not kept up with the monthly challenge. This brings out my competitive side.
• I also find the test analysis systems to be very affective at times and have really gave me a little insight into me.

So in short: thanks for the kick ass site.

Testimonial Note from Ryan Murray on Mon, May 10
1 cup
just a bug fix

Yesterday, I was having difficulty getting my account to work. It may have been because I was switching from the web to the mobile and back and forth again, or it could have been the bad karma of not having bought a cup of patronage on the first of May like I told myself I would. I alleviated the patronage karma problem today and have since taken my settings back to defaults as opposed to the personalized settings of black background and green text that I like the best. Hopefully that will fix all my woes, but my 47 day streak was broken. I wrote about 1000 words and then lost a bunch of them, so I just cut and pasted 500 words in as a replacement for my lost cause. Maybe the program was smart enough to know what i did and took those words away, but it had previously said i was up to 1000 words. Why would it try to trick me? Is there a way to fix my Saturday broken chain That shouldn’t have been a broken link?

New Feature Request Note from Daniel Bayer on Sun, May 09
1 cup

I love this site. It is something that I look forward to everyday and has gotten me back to writing my morning pages that I used to do years ago (although I don’t always do it the morning). I think Buster Benson is brilliant for doing this and I just love the way he’s put it all together. It’s the little things like the rewards of different icons, and the encouragement built into the site. It’s sweet. Kinda tells me the kind of person Buster is. It’s so nice to be part of this remarkable community. I cannot express to you, Buster, the gratitude and appreciation I have for you for doing all this.

Testimonial Note from Richard Bienvenu on Sun, May 09
1 cup

buster: Thanks for the great site. I was in an illustrated journaling class and mentioned your site. The instructor loves the morning pages but found the charts I told her about fascinating. She couldn’t write the URL down fast enough. Expect another member.

Thanks for a great site.
…dave

Testimonial Note from Anonymous on Sun, May 09
1 cup
More text analysis
New Feature Vote from Ebun Omoni on Sat, May 08
1 cup

You will feel a whole lot better 750 words from now.

One Month Challenge Bounty from Doug Dawson on Sat, May 08
1 cup

Thanks for the opportunity to support this charity.

Double Down on Charity Note from Doug Dawson on Sat, May 08
1 cup

There’s my donation done for falling off the monthly challenge on the first day! ;)

I feel totally different after a whole month of writing in the morning. I’m getting all of those harmful thoughts down into words, and now I feel like I don’t have to think about them any more and I can get on with happy, productive stuff. To think I never knew why I had gardener’s block! This is an amazing brain-happifying tool, and I’m really glad I’ve discovered it and can use it to feel better for the rest of my life.

Thank you for being so awesome, Buster. I hope your wife and future child are doing okay.

Testimonial Note from Lottie Lodge on Sat, May 08
1 cup
More badges for accomplishments

I have to say I LOVE the badges and find them really motivational, not to mention just plain fun. I’d love to see more, plus a page that lists the possible ones so I know what to shoot for.
Thanks, I love the site!

New Feature Vote from Joanie on Fri, May 07
1 cup

Writing every day is a wonderful process. Having a private space and a shared challenge gives a little bit more incentive. This is like a cup of coffee for the soul. Thanks, Buster!

One Month Challenge Bounty from Chris Campbell on Fri, May 07
2 cups

Over the past 39 days, 750 Words has become a definite sort of purification ritual for me.

I write down those things that my brain gets stuck on, like to-do lists and situations that bother me, self-criticism and frustration — because of this, my thinking is clearer because I’ve purged myself of negative thoughts. I also write about plans for the future, childhood memories that have come to mind suddenly, plans for projects (I’m an art student)… I love that there’s no format or requirements or expectations. I’ve never gone back to read what I wrote; it’s writing just for writing’s sake. I always feel more centered after I do my 750.

Testimonial Note from Theresa A. Zeitz-Lindamood on Fri, May 07
1 cup
facebook?

I was monitoring my Facebook application privacy settings and noticed that 750 words came up as an application that I authorized to use with Facebook. I have never logged onto 750 words with my Facebook account, nor have I ever authorized Facebook to use info from 750 words. I’ve been trying very hard to to not link Facebook with 750 words because I dislike FB’s shady practices lately with regard to privacy. So I am wondering how this happened?

New Feature Request Note from Monica Smith on Fri, May 07
2 cups

When I find something new I usually give it a trial run to see whether it’s worth me putting time or effort into it. I wrote 1500 words my first day, then midnight rolled over and I wrote another 2000 before 1am. There was no trial with this, those were my first two entries and it continued for a 60 day streak. I love this service. I can 100% imagine doing this the rest of my life.

Unfortunately, tomorrow I leave to go to Europe for two months. I probably won’t be near the internet. I have a diary which I’ll write morning notes in. But it won’t be the same.

So, I have two cups for the two months I won’t be writing for. I said it before, I’ll say it again, I wish the best for Buster. Let’s hope for a safe trip.

Have fun.

Testimonial Note from Jason Greenman Cosgravey on Fri, May 07
1 cup

Since I found 750 Words, I have written more than I ever have in my life at one time. Shortly after getting my penguin, I made a contract with myself to finish one of the novels I have been “working” on for years now. Today is my 50th day of novel writing, and I have over 75% of my goal complete.

While I use 750 Words as a bounce board, a place to contemplate and complain, or just to record my daily happenings, it has mostly been a way for me to motivate myself. It serves as a great writing warm-up, and sometimes a much needed distraction. When I finally get that Phoenix badge, I will probably run around the house bragging – just 39 more days!

Thanks so much Buster for this great service!

Testimonial Note from Chris 🌈 on Thu, May 06
2 cups
A better mobile site

If there is not going to be a Blackberry application than it would really help to be able to use the mobile site. I cannot currently access the site and there are times when blackberry would be easiest way to get my thoughts down.

New Feature Vote from Pamela Dulaney on Thu, May 06
1 cup
More badges for accomplishments

I’m a little concerned that my competitive nature will lose a bit of the edge that unlocking badges has provided as incentive. That if I start to feel I’ve unlocked all I can that I would lose one of the motivators, but then I’ve only been on 64 day streak so there may be more coming that I’m not aware of existing! I’d also like to know the reason for some of the ones I have unlocked. Not sure what the ‘Inspired’ one was for accomplishing!

New Feature Vote from Pamela Dulaney on Thu, May 06
3 cups
Double Down on Charity Note from Anonymous on Wed, May 05
1 cup

There are so many ideas that gallop through my mind each morning, like so many little energetic offspring and all of them demanding that I pay attention to them.

750words is a way for me to tame those little buggers, to get them to politely sit down and wait their turn. it’s a relief really.

I have never written so consistently as I have with this application.

Thank you buster. You’ve made a difference.

Testimonial Note from Lisa Courington-DePass on Wed, May 05
1 cup
More badges for accomplishments

Here are my votes!
*A bagde for something between 30 days and 100 days. It’s the frickin mojave desert between 30 and 100.
*A badge for writing 1500 words (credit for doing twice as much.)
*A badge for morning writing

Thanks for listening!

New Feature Vote from Lisa Courington-DePass on Wed, May 05
2 cups

For me, 750 Words is a place to dump all the little stuff – the nagging issues, the day’s annoyances, and even the little nuggets of good that occur. Once I get the small things cleared out, I can focus on my work and big goals I have.

Just writing things down gets things out of my head and gives me the mental space I need to get my life going.

Testimonial Note from Chris R on Wed, May 05
1 cup
Person Search

Since now there are lots more people using the site, and we have the ability to follow our friends and favourite writers, we have to stalk the Today page and scan it for people we know in order to follow them. I feel that it makes more sense to be able to search for names, and to be able to click “Follow” on the stats pages of others. Thanks so much for reading!

New Feature Request Note from Lottie Lodge on Wed, May 05
1 cup

I wandered unintentionally into an 826 Los Angeles kids’ stand-up comedy show a little while ago, through the back of the Echo Park Time Travel Mart. I had to hold on to the wall because I was laughing so hard. So, with that in mind, I’m happy to that a project I love (750words) is supporting kids in projects they love at 826 Seattle.

Double Down on Charity Note from Rachel Juarez-Carr on Tue, May 04
1 cup

I can honestly say that coming on this site and just writing whatever words and thoughts come to my head for those 10 minutes has kept me sane during finals this semester. (Good thing Professors can’t read my entries ) It is also the first time I have kept a journal of any sorts up longer than a week and is a good place to sort out ideas and plans for the day. Phoenix here I come!

Testimonial Note from Dara Diahann Lohnes on Tue, May 04
1 cup

I plan on getting this back :D

One Month Challenge Bounty from Dara Diahann Lohnes on Tue, May 04
1 cup

This looks like a wonderful idea!

Double Down on Charity Note from The Dragon’s Daughter on Tue, May 04