NaNoWriMo - DONE!

The folks at NaNoWriMo call finishing 50,000 words in the month of November "Winning." For some reason that's never felt right to me. Maybe it's because I have the metaphor of a race in my mind. At the end of the race, only one person wins.

But I get it. When you complete the challenge of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, which averages out to 1,667 words a day, you've won the struggle against writer's block, fear of failure, fatigue, and in some cases, very real physical pain.

Still, I have a hard time calling myself a winner. Yes, I did hit a verified word count of 50,325 words on November 30, but as any writer knows, finishing a first draft is just the beginning.

I'm letting my text cool, and then, sometime after the first of the year will start the arduous task of editing and rewriting.

To all those who participated in NaNoWriMo this year, I salute you, whether you "won" or not. Just starting it, just accepting the challenge was a big step. I hope that step brought you confidence and joy.