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NaNo is done

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Another NaNo project is in the can.
NaNoWriMo is done for another year.

The words flowed pretty easily this year.   Well, at least the first half of the month.  I think it was on November 17 that I crossed the finish line.  50,450 words.  Two weeks early. And it’s a good thing - because it was about that time that my calendar blew up unexpectedly.  No more writing three thousand words every morning.  Some days there were less than 100 words.

This year was different than other NaNo years. Not only was I able to keep cranking out words but as I did I kept finding myself envisioning the idea of maybe actually publishing this one. Isn’t that a novel idea?!?

Other years I heard myself saying over and over again that this was a great exercise.  A great writing practice - even if nothing else.  AND in other years I found myself reporting my progress on Facebook regularly, incessantly.  Obsessively maybe?  I think it was with the sense that I desperately needed the public accountability.

So that has been quite different this year. I have seldom reported word counts or goals this time. I wonder if perhaps I haven’t needed it so desperately as other years. That feels like progress to me.

I’m glad it did it again.
Will I do it again next year?
I hope so.
It is a good annual habit for me - serving several purposes.

…

I hope you consider joining me next year. If it interests you, why don’t you get out your calendar right now? Maybe sometime during the summer plan an hour to think about NaNo.  And then maybe set one day a month to revisit the idea.  Maybe even set up a daily writing habit right now. Start with 500 words a day - or even 300 - and then the next month increase it to 600 words/day - in preparation to do NaNo next November.

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