Why Do Streaks?

Day #4,031 of This Blog…

Never missed, as I said yesterday. So why do this, or any other writing streak for that matter?

The answer is simple…

FOR YOURSELF

You do it for yourself. Last year I wrote over 100 short stories in 100 days. Why? Because I wanted to. Thought it would be fun, and it was.

Over the last few years WMG has had challenges we offer to writers on Teachable. A no-lose challenge. If they miss, they get what they paid in credit in workshops, if they hit the challenge, they get a lifetime subscription of their choice.

Story a week, novel every two months, novella a month, publish something every month. Fun challenges to help writers get focused. But the writers who tend to make it all the way through are the ones that are doing it for themselves. I even stopped one writer from trying a challenge because they wanted to show their friends they could do it.

Nope, wrong reason completely.

Now granted, challenges and streaks have amazing power to people like me who give the challenge or streak power. But for others, a challenge or a streak just freezes them up and lets critical voice win. Always good to be aware of what type of writer you are and what motivates you.

But never have I seen work letting what other people think motivate you. It fails quickly and in ugly ways. Each writer must find our own motivation.

So why do I do challenges of a story per day for 100 days, or continue this blog streak night after night? Because, to be honest, for me challenges and steaks are fun.

And let me tell you, a daily streak of over 11 years has an amazing amount of power. Not because I care about what others would think if I missed.

Nope. I just don’t want to miss for me.

So when you set up a challenge or a streak, just do it for yourself. It just might work if you do that.

2 Comments

Bill Seymour

August 16, 2023 at 8:16 am

I can fully understand what you mean. I set myself on a streak of a minimum 500 words a day. Lasted 127 days. I know nothing like your 11 years, but with an infant who sleeping 2 hours was considered a good night sleep, I was proud of pulling myself from bed at 11pm almost every night and getting my words in before midnight so I could go back to bed. More than 90% of those days was well over 500 words, but with the baby I wanted something I knew I could do no matter what. The fun of seeing that number go up every single day kept me going.

Now, I lost the streak when the sleep training for my infant fell apart. It has been hard getting back on a streak. They are powerful once they are going and kind of set, but I know for me, it’s getting them going. A couple days isn’t enough. There is that ledge that if I don’t pass, it’s too easy to turn back. Once I get beyond that invisible mark, the streak/challenge takes over.

Here is to hoping I can find that invisible marker and run past it once again.

Kris Rusch

August 16, 2023 at 9:29 am

I took time off my 12K per day step streak because of medical stuff. The break was planned, and I knew I would start up afterwards, which I have. There were days when I could have done the streak, but I didn’t, and I missed it. The rest was good, but wow, did it feel wonderful to return to the streak last week. It felt like I had lost an arm. I’d been doing step streaks since about 2010, and not to have one deliberately felt weird. (Yes,I know. It was healthy. But weird.)

Bill Seymour

August 16, 2023 at 8:16 am

I can fully understand what you mean. I set myself on a streak of a minimum 500 words a day. Lasted 127 days. I know nothing like your 11 years, but with an infant who sleeping 2 hours was considered a good night sleep, I was proud of pulling myself from bed at 11pm almost every night and getting my words in before midnight so I could go back to bed. More than 90% of those days was well over 500 words, but with the baby I wanted something I knew I could do no matter what. The fun of seeing that number go up every single day kept me going.

Now, I lost the streak when the sleep training for my infant fell apart. It has been hard getting back on a streak. They are powerful once they are going and kind of set, but I know for me, it’s getting them going. A couple days isn’t enough. There is that ledge that if I don’t pass, it’s too easy to turn back. Once I get beyond that invisible mark, the streak/challenge takes over.

Here is to hoping I can find that invisible marker and run past it once again.
Kris Rusch

August 16, 2023 at 9:29 am

I took time off my 12K per day step streak because of medical stuff. The break was planned, and I knew I would start up afterwards, which I have. There were days when I could have done the streak, but I didn’t, and I missed it. The rest was good, but wow, did it feel wonderful to return to the streak last week. It felt like I had lost an arm. I’d been doing step streaks since about 2010, and not to have one deliberately felt weird. (Yes,I know. It was healthy. But weird.)