300 Words 01/24/2024

Summary

Jeff, an aspiring writer, expresses gratitude to Ava for her inspiring story on Medium, which motivated him to write a response and reaffirms the importance of genuine engagement over follower counts.

Abstract

Jeff, a writer committed to publishing 300 words daily on Medium, was deeply moved by Ava's story. He highlights the impact of her writing on him, emphasizing that her words, not metrics like follower count, are what truly resonate with readers. Jeff encourages Ava to continue writing and thanks her for inspiring his own work. He also addresses other readers, inviting them to engage with Ava's article and the Medium community, suggesting that they might be motivated to write their own letters of appreciation.

Opinions

Jeff values the quality and emotional impact of writing over quantitative measures of success like reader numbers or follower counts.
He believes that the "sparks" created by kind words, congratulations, and being there for others are what people will remember most about a writer's work.
Jeff is a proponent of active engagement with other writers' content, as evidenced by his encouragement for readers to interact with Ava's article and comments section.
He sees the act of writing as a journey and hopes that his own story will inspire others to express themselves and connect with the community.
Jeff appreciates the power of a personal response and its ability to foster a sense of connection and continuity in the writing community.

To Ava

Hello Ava,

You don’t know me, but I just finished reading this story of yours. I was so moved by the quality and content of your piece, that I decided to write this letter in response.

I’ve tasked myself with publishing 300 words on Medium a day for the next year. Today marks the 23rd consecutive day that I’ve written something (I didn’t start this challenge until 01/02/2024), and I didn’t know what to write for today.

That is I didn’t know what to write until I read your story. Which is now a sea of green on my screen (I’ve highlighted it that much). So, I’m writing to say thank you and that I hope you keep writing. I hope you get swept up in your prose. I hope that you continue to find the process enjoyable, and that a few words on your screen move you as much yours have moved me.

Those tiny sparks make everything worthwhile in the end. People won’t remember our follower count or how many readers we have. Those numbers are here today and gone tomorrow. What they will remember are the sparks. The kind word when someone was sad. The congratulations when they won. The listening ear when they had no one to talk to. Those sparks are what matter most, but you know that already.

Your words did not land in an abyss. They came across my screen and inspired this response. Thank you for your story and I hope you never lose your perspective on writing. I hope you keep being unashamedly, wonderfully, you.

Sincerely,

Jeff A passing ship.

A note for anyone who isn’t Ava. Thank you for reading my mail you snoop. I’m kidding. Please take the time to read Ava’s article linked above, and say hi to the people in her comments section. There are some great writers there waiting to be discovered. I wish you the best on this journey, and hope you enjoyed this story. Maybe just maybe it will inspire you to write a letter of your own.

300 Words 01/24/2024 | A Response

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