We are sixty percent of the way through the month of November. Isn’t that an odd way to say it? It’s probably not the best way to gauge how far along I should be, considering that I am not planning to write every day, but there it is.

 

I started off strong—over five thousand words on my first day of writing! What a boon that was in making this thing work. It gave me room to shut down the computer early on a couple of nights when I was literally falling asleep while typing. If I can keep on target for the next less-than-two weeks, I will easily make my goal of 33,750 words. If I can step it up a little, I will make it to 50K.

 

What’s ultimately more important than word count is that I am making progress in figuring out where this novel is going, what’s happening, and, although to a lesser extent, who these people are.

 

The last time I tried NaNo, I had a figuratively sketchy idea of what the novel would entail. There was no outline; I’m not sure I had written more than a few pages of anything related before diving in. There isn’t an outline, per se, this time either, but I’ve been thinking about this novel for what might be close to a year. And I’ve been dying to know what happens (that’s a bit of a pun, as death plays a large role). That, coupled with the fact that I am due with another child on March 1, has upped the ante on getting some form of this thing on the page.

 

Still, last night, I found it tough to get into the work. There are things I know I need to edit out and rewrite. Plot points that need to trade places. But there’s no time for that. There’s more that needs to be written—even if it will all be deleted next month—first, and NaNo is helping me to get that done in a way I think I would struggle to do on my own.

 

There are times I want to make excuses. My grandmother has been sick. I’m toliet training my youngest. I’d almost rather watch another episode of The Biggest Loser. I’m pregnant and tired! My other novel was rejected by an editor I was very much hoping to work with (albeit for a very sound reason) the first week of the month.

 

But the camaraderie I experienced at the Kick-Off Party I attended and the prospect of “winning” NaNo are stronger. Last night, in a moment of Web-surfing weakness, I discovered that my agency’s revamped website had launched, and there I was, on the author page. There isn’t a title or a publishing house by my name. Yet. But I believe there will be.

 

Not, however, until I get back to work.