diff --git a/thoughts/models.py b/thoughts/models.py
index 314d3b4..974c83c 100644
--- a/thoughts/models.py
+++ b/thoughts/models.py
@@ -64,6 +64,22 @@ ALLOWED_MEDIA_TYPES = {
 
 
 class ThoughtForm(forms.ModelForm):
+    text = CharField(
+        strip=False,
+        widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={"class": "thought", "rows": 1, "placeholder": "What are you thinking?"}),
+        required=False,
+        max_length=140
+    )
+    extended_text = CharField(
+        strip=False,
+        widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={"class": "thought", "rows": 1, "placeholder": "Anything else?"}),
+        required=False
+    )
+    media_alt = CharField(
+        widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={"placeholder": "Media alternate text, please", "rows": 1}),
+        required=False
+    )
+
     def clean_media(self):
         f = self.cleaned_data["media"]
         if not f:
@@ -85,15 +101,7 @@ class ThoughtForm(forms.ModelForm):
         model = Thought
         exclude = ["posted"]
         widgets = {
-            "text": forms.Textarea(attrs={"class": "thought", "rows": 1, "placeholder": "What are you thinking?"}),
-            "extended_text": forms.Textarea(attrs={"class": "thought", "rows": 1, "placeholder": "Anything else?"}),
             "timezone_offset": forms.NumberInput,
-            "media_alt": forms.Textarea(attrs={"placeholder": "Media alternate text, please", "rows": 1})
-        }
-        field_classes = {
-            "text": CharField,
-            "extended_text": CharField,
-            "media_alt": CharField,
         }
 
         error_messages = {