The end of NaNoWriMo

November has ended and as much as I'd liked to say Deja Vu, book 2 of the Just Sam series, has as well, that'd be a lie. While I did make my goal of 50k words for the month of November, I am still not finished with book 2. So far my total word count is up to 123k words and I know I have a TON of editing to do on this book, and as I look back on Inevitable, book 1, as well. December will be a busy month for me.

The writing frenzy I had in November was a good thing for me as a writer. The mania that my main character, Samantha, forced me into in order to write so much so fast caused me some emotional turmoil, as I went through everything she did and as any good writer knows, you have to put your characters through the paces. But it really helped me through the writing process, both in seeing my strengths and realizing what areas I need to boost in order to make my writing that much better. My characters and my story wouldn't let me go.

I loved the NaNo experience and look forward to participating next year. I don't think I will be finishing a whole novel in a month but the energy and mass goal really helped to spur me on in my own endeavors.

Personally November and the past few months have been difficult. I'm finding myself to be frustrated by the economy and my lack of employment. I focused on my writing and that definitely helped with my confidence level, but I also fear I will find myself very disappointed when I do get hired on and can't write as much as I do now. We all have to stumble along the uneven path before publication and pay our dues I suppose, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. I just want to write for a living. That is my goal. I want to be able to live on what I make from writing. I haven't always had a goal in life, so setting this one is good.

I have something to work toward now. Anything that happens on my path to my goal will simply be a stepping stone. If I have to take a job I don't want, big deal, it isn't the end of the world. I won't be stuck in a dead end job forever. I have my writing. All of these pitfalls will simply be the next stone on the way to my goal. Every stone I step on, every stair to get to the top, will simply strengthen my muscles, both physically and mentally. In the end I will be stronger and more prepared for what lies ahead.