May #4: I Broke My Streak
But I also wrote 62.5 pages so far, so maybe it's fine?
Two days ago I broke my May writing streak. I’d made it to 16 days of writing in a row (although inconsistent on sharing), and in those 16 days:
I spent a total of 33.5 hours actively writing (this doesn’t include all the time I spent thinking about what I was going to write)
I wrote a total of 62.5 pages, spread out across a few projects. My main focus has been a new cable pilot, but I also wrote some development pages for a feature pitch, some pitch pages for a tv pitch, and a new intro for a feature revision.
I averaged 3.91 pages per day, and 1.87 pages per hour.
It all felt great! And then I forgot to write on Saturday. Just straight up forgot. I was busy with family all day, then went to dinner and a concert as an early birthday present from my writing partner. And then I went to bed.
The next day, I didn’t even realize until halfway through the day.
I’ll be honest, part of me thought that, as the person running this whole thing, maybe I could/should just pretend that I had written a tiny bit and forgot to post. Honestly, it’s the perfect crime, because it isn’t a crime and nobody cares.
But I do. That’s not the point of this whole thing. The point is to be honest and have fun and build community and actually create a writing habit.
After 16 days, it wasn’t a habit for me. At least writing on weekends wasn’t, and 16 days in a row wasn’t enough for a habit to fully form in my brain to the point where I would even think about it once on a busy Saturday.
The good news is, we’re only half way through the challenge, and I get to start over the next day. My streak has to start back at 1, but here are my updated stats for the month:
33.5 hours of writing
62.5 pages
3.68* pages per day (the only change)
1.87 pages per hour
That’s great! That’s what it’s really about!
So if you’ve been struggling to be consistent, or have fallen off the streak a few times, just start up again tomorrow.
The big prize at the end of this aren’t the numbers, it’s the accomplishment and the writing you get to share with other people. And also I will absolutely shout out the people who hold the monthly records. (More on that later on, but I think I’ll share a google form for anyone who would like to submit their final numbers and we can give them a victory lap).
In a way, a bit of a weight has been lifted. I started this whole thing, and I felt like I had to be out in front leading the charge, but there are still at least two other people in the discord who haven’t broken their streaks yet, and now I get to join their cheering section. See you there.
Chris Amick is a Film and TV Writer/Producer in Los Angeles with credits including Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Die Hart 2, Kung Fu Panda: the Dragon Knight, Final Space, and more. His latest project is as Executive Producer on the existential thriller IT ENDS, which premiered at SXSW 2025. He teaches writing classes here.