Day 345: Because This Project Is Almost Over [Top 5 Top 5 Sunday]

As the title obviously tells, I have been writing for 345 consecutive days. I knew that I would make it to this benchmark, but I didn’t think I would have so easily. Don’t get me wrong: some days are a total drag. But even on my darkest days, I’ve been able to grind something out. And now it seems that the time has flown right by. After today, there will only be two more Top 5 Top 5 Sundays (as part of the project). That just seems ridiculous. So I feel like now will be a good time to do 5 lists about the writing project. Because 345 is a good number. It feels like a complete number. There’s a certain aesthetic to it. Just look at it again: 345. Mmmm. That’s some good numbering. Okay, here’s some lists:

5) Top 5 Devices That I Wrote On During The Project

5) Old MacBook

4) Work Computer

3) Chromebook

2) iPhone

1) New iMac

And it’s not even close. Writing on my phone is still a horrendous task that I would never recommend to anybody. But lately, it’s been the only way to go. My thumbs are fat, my nails are sharp, autocorrect is a jackass, it’s a bad scene. Also writing on the old MacBook and old iMac (#6 on the list) was a viscous struggle. Every time I typed a sentence, I would have to wait for it to be typed out on the screen. It got to the point where I felt like I wasn’t even writing.

4) Top 5 Things I Learned From The Project

5) They don’t all have to be bangers

4) After doing it long enough, you can literally write without ever having to actually think about it. You can form a direct line from your instincts to your fingers.

3) Hits don’t actually matter. Unless the piece really means something to you and nobody read it. Then, and only then, so hits matter.

2) Having a set programming schedule takes care of 80% of the hassle

1) Writing is, most of the time, the best and cheapest therapy

You may not realize it, but I’ve written myself out of some very dark situations. When my brain is on fire, I barely have the energy to stand, the world is spinning and I can barely utter a coherent sentence. In those times, I’ve been able to buckle down and extract words from my brain. And a lot of the time, they have nothing to do with what I’m feeling. I never finish a piece of writing feeling worse than how I started. And a lot of times, it’s pulled me out completely. It’s amazing what the power of creativity and the temporary sense of accomplishment can do for your mental health!

3) Top 5 Project Subjects

5) Friday Thoughts

4) Wrasslin’ For Lunch

3) Top 5 Top 5 Sunday

2) Baseball/Saturday Haikus

1) Untitled Random Number And Subject Thursday Thing

I still haven’t come up with a title for it, but I fucking love writing about random subjects for a random amount of words. Some of my favorite pieces have come from that. When this project is done, this will definitely be the one I revisit the most often. I’ve always been a huge proponent of creating things for the sake of them existing. So if someone wants me to write 566 words about peppermint, I’m gonna fucking do it and I’m gonna have a blast in the process.

5) The story about the pumpkin costume

2) Top 5 Things That I Still Haven’t Written For The Project, But Always Intended On Doing

4) Telephone Line parts 1, 2 and 4

3) A definitive “best of” and “worst of” list

2) The logistics of onion transport

1) The start of a short story about a furniture salesman in Arizona

I was arrested with a story idea early last summer, months before the project started. I was driving to work a lot because pandemic and I filled my playlist up with smooth 90s jams. After a while, a character started developing in my head. He’s in his early 40s. He’s single. He’s a furniture salesman in Arizona. The year is 1995. And I intended to go from there. I told myself that throughout the project, I would write him a story in pieces. Then, once I got past day 200, I told myself that I would write the first part on day 369. That’s still my intent, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with the guy. But I also think that a lot of the other short fiction pieces I’ve written lately can exist in this universe. So maybe I have actually been world building without even realizing it. He could be addicted to Benny’s Big Bean Burritos. His neighbor could turn into a giant weed on full moons. This could all actually work. Maybe. Probably. We’ll see.

1) Top 5 New Pictures In My Camera Roll

5)

4)

3)

2)

1)

I had to change number 1 at the last second because I realized that I can break it down in the next Ad Nauseous article. I guess it’s always good to have backup pictures.

Have a prepared week, everyone!

– TeeCoZee