I'm a Winner!

I did it! I'm a winner of NaNoWriMo!

Well, it won't be official until tomorrow when official validation starts, but I did it, I wrote 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30, or in my case, Nov. 23rd. I am quite proud of my accomplishment, but even more I'm glad I joined this NaNoWriMo thing for the overall experience.

It has really changed the way I look at my own writing and how I go about doing things. I learned that writing without editing along the way can really help me stay focused on the story evolving. When I go back to edit the little things I lose the flow and I also tend to get confused about the timeline. If I write until I reach the end, or close anyway, it's much easier to remain focused and ontrack.

Writing with others is also a big benefit. I hadn't realized how much I'd like the company, but I've found that I do. I like the atmosphere of writing at a coffee shop with friends and it allows me to write without the day to day distractions of home, or the isolated feeling I had writing at the library. I did get a lot of writing done at the library, but it wasn't good for the social needs I have. Writing with other NaNo writers this month has really told me that.

My story could be done now, but it would leave several things hanging and I don't like unfinished ends unless there's another book to tell those things. This isn't a book in a series, though I suppose it could be, so I will continue on and my goal is to hit the 75K mark by the 30th. The story should wrap up nicely by then, I hope, and it's a good goal to set for the final week of the month. Optimistic, but good. Reach for the stars and all that.