NaNoWriMo...Check.

Happy December 1st!

Did you miss me?

I missed you...like the Dickens, which is somewhat appropriate as we're almost in the season of Dickens.  Well, so far as A Christmas Carol and things having to do with Tiny Tim and such.  And I missed writing in this space too.

Oh I was writing, you can believe that. I WON NaNoWriMo! I did it! I wrote a 50,000 word novel in one month...I wrote 2,000 words a day.  For the first two weeks, and then I didn't and I was just going to let myself slide because I have a TON of new things going on in my life right now, and then Andrew and Angie made me write.

They went about it in a very sneaky was as well...I spent the afternoon at their house on Thanksgiving where I taught them how to play Cribbage, and they introduced me to the joys of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (only the most loved and watched show of most of my favorite people in the world...I'm just slow on the uptake I guess) and after we were all hooked on both of those things, hey slyly suggested that I come over a couple of days later and we'd play cribbage, watch Buffy, eat leftovers, and write for NaNo.

And there I was hopelessly trapped between leftovers and Buffy and before you know it, I actually wrote approximately 25,000 words in 3 days.

(it helps that I write average 900 words every 15 minutes)

(I have a lot to say)

(stop laughing)

But, I finished my novel yesterday before 2:00 pm and entered my words onto the official NaNo page and they counted them and said I needed about 250 more.  Seriously. The program I was using said I had 25 more than I needed, so I actually had to reach deep and find 250 more words I hadn't already overused...

But I did it.

And I'm amazed at myself. I am such a strong started when it comes to certain things, but I always thought I had a hard time finishing.  However, I've realized as I've gotten older, this may be an old story and I'm getting much better at finishing the things I start.

Which is good because I got some fabulous news to let you all in on, and I'll do that tomorrow...

I'm not sure what will be next for my novel, but I did learn some interesting things:

• Once I start doing a project, when I get in the flow of creativity, it is hard for me to stop...I never knew I did this with writing too.
• I honestly thought I could sit down and write a manuscript that was ready to be published. I quickly realized that not many people probably can do that, and it will take a lot of revising and editing. This is not a bad thing, but it was surprising to me.
• I know who my characters are because they're in my head. I found it very funny that I hardly described them in words...no one else would be able to figure out if they even liked these people.
• Winning NaNo does not give me any grand prizes other than a downloadable certificate and a funny video of vikings singing my praises.  It also gave me a great sense of accomplishment and a very large smile...and bragging rights.
• I can do most anything I set my mind to if I give myself the chance to do it. (although sometimes I work better with a deadline...and at the last minute) (but there's always enough time)

And I'm not sure if I'll do NaNo again next year, but you never can tell...it was a great time (all said and done)