Trying to write 750 words

There are a few websites that talk about the benefits of bashing out 750 words a day. I find it an interesting thought that just typing away and clearing the brain could be a good way to destress and help focus the mind. 750 words is around 2 sides of A4 paper and actually a decent amount of text. This can mean that you are just drivelling on about a load of rubbish.

BENEFITS

That I can see to forcing myself to write 750 words a day

- Helps to get the creative juices going - especially in the morning
- Forces one to pick a topic to start chatting about
- The target of 750 words, means - just keep going and see what happens
- In a world dominated by micro content (twitter for example) it helps maintain skills for longer form writing
- Improves writing generally
- Improve typing speed

NEGATIVES
That I can see from forcing myself to write 750 words a day

- Is this sacrificing decent quality, by drivelling on
- Is the target realistic or will you become despondent when you only get to 250 words
- What if you have nothing to write about
- If you have nothing good to say, don't say it at all!

At this point I have written 219 words. Wow it is actually pretty touch to write 750 words, about 750 words. It goes to show that longform writing does take either a decent amount of research or an in depth knowledge of the the subject. Trying to type out 750 words straight off, without pausing or heading to the internet to "research" is quite a challenge. Perhaps it is just a habit I have got out of. Perhaps I just need to set myself a lower target. Would 500 words or even 250 be a better target and something to actually stick at?

MAKES ME THINK

- What is the average length of a web page?
- How many words does the average web browser read on each page?

For me I generally, skim read articles and web pages. Even news articles I'm just digesting the headlines. This is pretty sad really. My attention span has definitely got shorter as I've now been using the web for over 10 years. But then perhaps I had a pretty short attention span in the first place. I really do think things like twitter haven't helped at all. Scroll, Scroll, Click, Scroll, Scroll. Perhaps it's just the tactile feel of the phone that has perpetuated this? Even in the early days of the internet, just using a PC to browse. The nature of the web, just encourages clicking away. Also I because there is so much dross on the internet, I imagine people now just try sift through a load of the junk (like this piece) to get to the good stuff. I can't imagine I would read 750 words of this "article".

This brings me to think about content on the web and what the purpose of most content is. Most content is there to either generate ad revenue or capture your personal data. I have no problem with either of these. There is other content that is largely self-promotion or advertising. It's no surprise really, when the some of the biggest companies on the planet are based on the internet. There is some great content out there too. Some amazing independent bloggers, and academic research that I barely tap into. I think it may be time to refocus my reading habits, and start consuming quality content, that can actually add to my wisdom, rather than scan reading click bait.

So to summarise, writing 750 words straight out the bat is a bit of a challenge. It's difficult to build out something that flows, makes sense, and has relevant content. That challenge is why I can see the merit of establishing a routine of writing longer content more frequently. Bashing out 750 words a day would be a pretty big challenge for most people. Once a week might be dooable for me, but perhaps it's worth persevering and giving it a go. It also helps give a sense of what a "proper" article may look like in terms of substance over style. Perhaps I could even learn to enjoy it as a daily ritual. That's today's 750 words a wrap. Now it is.

(751 words)

Writing on the iPhone

Now I'm now using the iPhone as my a main way to capture text. I've become so used to to typing away on a small touchscreen keyboard, that it is now the quickest way for me to type. I can bash out 750 words pretty easily on the small keyboard. There are always a few typos, but I'd rather just keep typing and go back and fix these later. There is something compelling about being able to quickly jot down a stream of consciousness in no time. It would be interesting to do a speed test on my typing as I think I'm getting to the point where I can draft faster on the iPhone that a full size keyboard.

This article was entirely composed on an iPhone.

**I love the portability.** I'm currently typing this while lying on a sofa, chilling out. There is something about not sitting at a desk, that helps free up my mind to just type away. I can capture and edit an article anywhere any time. My phone is with me 24/7. It is always charged. Always switched on, within two clicks I can start typing away. Compare this to going and getting my laptop, getting sat somewhere comfortable, firing it up, then finally getting to type text. It takes me around 30 minutes to capture 750 words. Who has time for that? Think of the amount of time you are sat with your phone. On the train, at the airport, waiting for someone or something... It doesn't take many of these occasions in a day to add up.

The iPhone also performs brilliantly outdoors in sunlight. The screen is clear bright and the text is easy to read. This is more than I can say for any laptop I've ever used, including my latest high end MacBook Pro. This means I can create text in places that may give more inspiration to my writing. Just writing in the garden opens up my mind a little bit. Writing can take place in inspiring places. Beaches, mountains, parks, cafes, museums, anywhere. When travelling, obviously it's a great tool to capture thoughts and notes. It's small and doesn't attract attention like whipping out a laptop would. It is so perfect on a flight. I've tried so many times to get the laptop out to get some work done. Elbows get in the way. Drinks get spilt and food gets messy. Then You have the pain of storing it under your feet for the rest of the flight.

**I just can't get on with tablets for text.** I've tried my mini tablet to take text notes. Perhaps I need more practise, but I find the device way too big for any serious note taking. I've tried both landscape and portrait orientation, but I just find it too clunky. The iPhone just feels about the right size for a handheld keyboard. As phones inevitably get bigger (typing this on an iPhone 6) perhaps I will find it easier to type on bigger devices.

**Battery life.** Put an iPhone into airplane mode and just use it for typing text, and it will probably stay awake longer than you will. It's also pretty easy to carry one of those little battery backup devices, which can be a bit of a lifesaver.

**Finally distraction free.** Ever tried writing some long form text on a laptop and found yourself distracted? I know phones can be distracting too. All sorts of buzzing and notifications. But for me personally I find when typing away on an app, I'm less likely to wander off to Facebook. This is because on the small screen of a phone, there is only room for one app open. This gives me focus. Right now I'm typing this on a text editor and I can't see a web browser open anywhere on the screen. Clearly you can make a desktop app full screen, and I use this approach sometimes. However there is something very simple about a singe dedicated app open on a phone. You may have gathered, I like simplicity.

**Covert note taking.** This isn't as sinister as it sounds. But is probably the most compelling thing about writing on the iPhone. I like the fact that I can be typing out articles or notes in all situations. People are so used to people playing with their phones, that using your phone to type up a few text notes at anytime is not seen as unusual. If someone does something amusing, gives a great quote, or you just need to remember their name, whipping out your phone is no problem. Get out a notebook and pen and you are going to get some funny looks.

So there are a raft of reasons to make the iPhone your primary tool for capturing text. I mainly use it for personal note taking and long articles, but based on my thoughts above perhaps I should ditch the MacBook and go with the phone more often!