I Wrote a 50-Word Story Every Day for A Month: Here's What I Learned
...certainly not how to write short headlines - this one is INCREDIBLY long!
1. Constraints Can Be Liberating
A daily writing habit is one thing, but writing a complete story in precisely 50 words, day after day? That was new to me.
Is this how it feels to be a columnist?
I struggled to complete a single story most days, but that was no surprise. I’m a very slow writer. Or so I thought.
Eventually though, as the days ticked by and the stories piled up, I began to think differently. I began to see tiny stories in my daily life, or create them out of thin air, after hearing a phrase, or seeing something odd.
50-word stories don’t scare me anymore.
Now, 100-word stories do.
Living The Dream
—Feb 25, 2025
You clock in.
Smile.
Do the work.
Smile.
Zoom. Smile. Zoom again. Smile. Teams. Nod. Clock out.
You write on the bus.
Frown.
Rewrite at home. Frown a little less.
Submit.
Laugh.
File the rejections. Laugh some more.
Turn down the lights. Climb into bed. Read.
Lights out. Smile.
Dream.
2. Brevity Favors Brutal Honesty
Fifty words isn’t much.
I couldn’t hide behind preambles, explanations, or repetitive phrases. I had to speak my mind in tight language.
That sharpened my writing and forced me to reign in my rambling.
3. February Has More Than 21 Days In It. And So Do I
February 21st, 5:00 AM, I hit the snooze and rolled over.
“Not today.”
I was cooked. I didn’t think I had another story in me, and I wasn’t going to “beat myself up” trying.
But that wimpy decision bothered me the rest of the day.
Later that afternoon, I wrote three pretty darn good 50-word stories to make up for it.
Normally, I wouldn’t have made the extra effort, but I’m not normal, this was worth it and so am I.
4. Personal Stories Hit Harder… because they are harder
Even when I try writing pure fiction, traces of my real life always wriggle in, begging to be exposed (but not really).
The more truth I reveal, the better my stories become. But who do I help by telling this truth?
Who do I hurt?
Are you okay with that?
We know what we’re doing
—Feb 23, 2025
We still text sometimes.
Short replies.
No emojis.
Nothing big, nothing deep.
Just enough to pretend we don’t miss each other.
Just enough to keep from letting go completely.
We know what we’re doing.
We don’t say it.
Instead, we say: “Take care.”
And reply: “You too.”
But we know.
5. Most Stories Fell Flat, But Nothing Was Ever Wasted
I wrote a few gems, but most entries felt like half-baked sketches or random ramblings without purpose or prose tight enough to hold them together.
Even so, every “bad” story taught me something new.
Over time, I discovered fresh ideas, or quirky phrases worth saving in many of those clumsy attempts.
6. Outside Recognition Helps—But Isn’t Everything
One of my stories, “Still Life,” was published online and won Story of the Week. That was a huge thrill.
Then, Book Coach Jacque Hamilton mentioned me in her newsletter. That was an unexpected treat and deeply gratifying.
The recognition felt good, but I kept writing even when no one noticed, liked, or commented.
The true payoff was not seeing what others saw, or listening to what others had to say, but experiencing how my work evolved day after blessed day.
…and isn’t it delightful how that just rhymed 👆 🤣
Fine Print
—Feb 26, 2025
No one gets out alive.
What, you don’t remember signing up?
Let me break it down.
Clause 1: Time is nonrefundable.
Clause 2: Fear voids the warranty.
Clause 3: Compliance guarantees nothing.
You can follow the rules of others. Or create your own.
Either way, the deal ends the same.
7. The Practice Outweighs the Product
Writing a fifty-word story a day for 28 days taught me that quantity leads to quality….eventually.
I just have to stick with it.
It’s in there. It’s in me. And it’s in you, too 🤗.
You Are Cordially Invited
—Feb 22, 2025
Friends your whole life. Forty-five years like family, but you couldn’t visit him once?
Not a call. Not a letter.
I sent it anyway.
His funeral came and went.
Next morning, a message:
“Wish I could’ve made it. Hope you’re good.”
I typed, deleted, rewrote.
Finally, I sent:
“Next time”
8. Just show up
That’s the main takeaway: Good things happen when you Show Up for yourself.
By showing up daily, I learned that the truth is hard to hide in a tiny space. I discovered that diligence pays off, and I learned to embrace vulnerability in my storytelling.
Life in 50 words
—Feb 19, 2024
Short tales, tiny stories, it’s the small things that keep me going.
If only I could earn a living, pay my bills, save a little for a rainy day.
If only the landlord loved my work and the grocer found inspiration in my words.
Then, maybe, you would love me.
I love you guys ❤️🔥
Thanks for being there—and always being here—with me.
—Paul 🤗