NaNoWriMo Reflections

Well November has ended. And along with it NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
And while I did not reach the 50,000 word finish line, I press on.

By the end of November I had reached just over 10,000 words. I blame my failure on a number of things. Part of the problem was that as you all know, Thanksgiving falls in the month of November. Being that I work in a service industry, when most people are closed for such a holiday, it's among the busiest times of year for us. So work was extra crazy and time consuming.  But probably the largest culprit was that I didn't not discover a clear plot for my story until nearly two thirds of the way through the month. I had my characters, including extensive back stories, I just couldn't quite figure out what they were doing in my story, and why. But with the help of my most beloved best friend, Layton, eureka we've got it! I'm now north of 13,000 words and continue to make progress. I try to write at least a little every day; some days I get to write more than others though.

Even though I didn't cross that finish line this time, I'm excited about how much I did accomplish. I started writing stories in middle school, but to this day I haven't finished a single one of them. Many of them, especially my earlier work, are laughably horrid that I could or would never pursue publishing. I keep them of course, because I find it hilarious to go back and reread them sometimes. It's also kind of neat to see how my writing has grown with me. I have a passion for writing. It's something that no matter where I go in life, not matter what I do or where my career path might lead me; I will always write. Getting published would be a dream come true. Although somehow the thought of people reading my work is oddly terrifying. But it's a good kind of terrifying. Not only am I glad I participated in NaNoWriMo this year, I'm also glad I decided to share the fact that I was participating. I received such wonderful encouragement.

I'm inching my way to my own finish line, be in 50,000 words or some other number. I'm excited to see how it turns out. And I appreciate all those cheering me on.

Steph