The Good Patrons of 750 Words

61 cups

Some of my most cherished moments in writing are not the verbal insights that arise, but the silences that follow. It’s taken over 7.5 million to unlock these silences, and there are many more to come. Now my writing practice is shifting, and it seems to be time to move on.

I’d like to leave you all with a parting dare: break a habit. Not necessarily a bad habit—it could be something you automatically do that you don’t really need to. Try leaving that undone. Look in a place that you usually overlook. Break a habit. See what happens.

Remember, one way of breaking a habit is to start a new one. Commitment to writing can sometimes feel estranging, boring, or even threatening; more extraverted actions often seem more tempting or significant. But really, writing can move us closer to the world: it can make us deeper listeners and keener observers. So if you’re looking for a sign, here it is: keep going, day by day. Keep writing. See what happens.