444 Words
The drafts I haven’t returned to
I scroll through my drafts and find so many with 444 words written, or something close to that.
I don’t know what it is about that range that makes me give up on something. But it’s clearly a spot I lose interest.
444 words may be a lot for some people. I wish I could explain why I can write two pages in a book in 10 minutes. I wish I could explain why others can’t. I wish I could explain why I can do it and don’t do it all the time.
It’s a fickle thing, this world of writing. It’s given to you from a place you don’t understand, so it’s fair to question whether or not your name belongs on the final copy.
Maybe that’s why I have hundreds of drafts; some mere headlines with a quick lede, some 444 words, some even more than that.
When I’m off the road, I feel compelled to sit down at my desk, with the lights dim and the distractions tucked away. I like to stretch my neck and look around the room and give myself a chance to breathe.
I like to turn on the fan and let it suck my temptations away; my temptations to open Tinder. My temptations to open YouTube. My temptations to leave my current headspace and give up on an article.
