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“I won! I won!”
Winning on Tongal is an exhilarating experience. Nothing beats those first few seconds when you realize that, yes, you’re a winner. Your eyes widen. You can’t stop smiling. You reload the Tongal page to make sure it’s not a mistake. You say, “I won!” to your cat, perhaps named Tongie if you’re an especially obsessed Tongaler. It’s not just the money (but, wow, money!) or how it brightens your day. Winning gives your imagination the chance to go wild. Your little idea could become something big. A commercial for all to see. A national advertising campaign. Even a television series. Winning is wonderful. Winning makes your day. Winning makes your bank account bigger. Winning is what it’s all about. Or is it?
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Tongal is much more than just “winning.” It's a fun, challenging, and bold writing exercise that's made me a better writer. It took me a few years to figure that out, though. I’m a freelance writer, and have been for nearly all of my adult life. I’ve had other jobs—pizza boy, housekeeper, comic book store manager—to help pay the bills, but if someone asks me what I am, I say, “I’m a writer.” I didn’t always say that, but Tongal helped give me the confidence to say it proudly.
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I discovered Tongal in 2009. Before then, I hadn’t had much success as a writer. Then I found Tongal. I'd often come to Tongal while taking a break from other, longer work, as Tongal offered a fun respite, a creative palate cleanser. I'd craft bite-sized ideas for LEGO, Secret, Duracell or even legendary rock group KISS. Tongal writing was always interesting and exciting, but I never considered it “real” writing (whatever the heck that means). How could writing 140-character ideas be considered anything more than a lark?
It was slow going at first. The winning, I mean. I began to think my time on Tongal would be short-lived. Then something happened. I started winning. And winning. And winning. But why? What had changed? Was it luck, or something more tangible?
Without knowing it, I’d become a better writer. My ideas, which had been big and wordy and all over the place, were suddenly hitting the mark. I was making every word count. Before Tongal, I was squarely in the “word vomit” stage of writing. The more words the better! It’s long, so it must be good! Wrong. With Tongal, it’s all about an economy of words.
I recall, on more than one occasion, working on a Tongal project, trying to fit my big idea into a tiny character-limit, tinkering and rearranging, to no avail. I thought, "This is never going to fit.” Frustrated, I gave up on a perfectly good idea because I was sure it would never fit. Throughout my early years on Tongal, I gave up on many good ideas because I couldn’t figure out how to make them fit. Giving up on good ideas is a sure way to lose on Tongal.
My breakthrough came on an idea called “Poop Cops” for Deuce Spruce (which does exactly what you think it does).
My original idea went something like this: “These cops work the stink patrol, and they’re looking to make bathrooms a safer place by taking out bathroom bad guys! They don’t carry guns. Instead, they wield Deuce Spruce. Their mission is to end stinky bathrooms forever. They are the Poop Cops!”
Clearly that idea was not fitting into a 140-character space without some major work, but I believed every word was precious. I was trying to tell a story. Then I laughed and thought, “This is about poop. Relax.” The idea had two main components: poop and cops. So I trimmed, and chopped, and reorganized, and ended up with this idea:
“Two words: Poop Cops. COPS out to bust people who leave behind foul bathroom. No guns. Instead their holsters hold bottles of Deuce Spruce.”
Winner!
Okay, it’s not exactly Hemingway, but for me it was monumental. I was becoming a better editor and writer because of Tongal. My work was concise and focused. I began shedding unnecessary words like thick sweaters in summer. It was the repetition, five ideas per project, hundreds of entries per year, writing and rewriting, trimming, getting to the core of an idea. 140 characters. All creativity. No filler.
Over the next few years, I published two books, worked as a copywriter, and wrote scripts for a Strawberry Shortcake web series, a Cuisinart commercial, a voiceover for an ESPN/LEGO college football commercial, several radio spots, and most recently a Thomas and Friends animated series. Is it coincidence that my success on Tongal coincided with success outside of Tongal? Nope. Tongal gave me a better understanding of what’s important and what’s not through trial and error. Winning on Tongal also gave me confidence, a feeling of finally being good enough, of knowing I was on the right track.
Winning is incredibly satisfying, but Tongal is more than winning. If you have aspirations of making it as a writer, Tongal will make you better, even if you don’t notice right away. A losing entry isn’t necessarily a loss; it’s a learning experience.
I know what some of you are saying. “I don’t want to be a professional writer. I just want to make money and have fun.” Guess what? You’re going to get better, too. This will serve you well as Tongal evolves past 140 characters into something new and extraordinary, and as more and more people come aboard.
Writing is hard. You’ve got to put in the work. Tongal lets you do that in a fun way. If you’re not winning on Tongal, if your ideas aren’t translating perfectly, if you’re struggling, if it seems hopeless, don’t panic. You’re getting better, and you probably don’t even know it.
