Friday, November 30, 2012

NaNoWriMo: The Wrap-Up

Hear that sound?

It's the sound of cheering as people all over the world cross the NaNoWriMo finish line.

I am thrilled, grateful, and relieved to count myself among them once again this year.

The month of November went by surprisingly fast this year. One moment I was marathoning Disney's Halloweentown movies and keeping a close eye on the clock, and the next, I was gathering speed for my final 3,000 words this evening, and then I was crossing the finish line. It all seemed to happen in a blink of an eye this year.

I think getting ahead early had something to do with that - I wasn't nearly as stressed as last year, and even though I had days when I fell behind, I didn't have to put in as many late nights writing and had more downtime. The fact that this is my fourth NaNoWriMo, and that I'm finally getting the hang of balancing insane amounts of writing with school, extracurriculars, and other distractions, probably had something to do with it as well.

Although I love the journey of NaNoWriMo and found it a little bittersweet to hit 50k and bring the month to a close, I am glad that I wasn't extremely burnt-out by NaNoWriMo this year. In fact, I almost feel like I would be up to another insane writing challenge right now if you asked me.

Maybe not another 50k in a month, though. But finishing this novel within the next few months is definitely a strong possibility. There's still a lot of plot to unfold. I'll post updates every now and then to let you know how it's going. I'm more optimistic than ever about being able to incorporate writing into my daily life.

Before I finish, I do have some thank-yous I'd like to make:

Lindsey, Grant, and the whole crew at the Offices of Letters and Light. Thank you times a million for all the hard work you put in to this incredible program. My life would not be the same without it.

My lovely supportive family & friends, who left me alone to write for most of the month, and only dragged me away from the laptop occasionally to make sure I was still sane.

Dearest Emily and Emily, who decided to attempt this crazy thing alongside me this year. Having you guys frantically writing beside me in study hall was so encouraging.

Everyone else around the world who participated in NaNoWriMo. The sense of community on the site, in the forums, and all over the internet is what makes this event what it is. Congratulations on an incredible attempt, no matter what your final word count is, and I'll see you next November! Keep writing!

~blackandwhitedreamer

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