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NaNoWriMo Day 5

Now that I am more confident in my story I wanted to post a blog. I wish I could do one everyday during NaNoWriMo but I have a word count goal to meet everyday and blogging doesn't count.

I am behind, like done in April behind. I work best under pressure. Time crunches are my favorite fuel other than coffee. It is sad to me that I know this and admit it openly. My book will get done and it will be late on the last night when I put my story in to verify word counts.

I am writing! Just not the word counts I need to stay on track for the due date. At some point last year my estimated date to finish was January of 2016, in November of 2014. I still "won" so even though the graphs and data are fun to watch it can be daunting to see.  I am here to shout....

You can win!  

The good news it is only day 5. I am a pantser and I really didn't plan anything in October. I have a list of things I like and use that to fuel my writing. Day 3 was the first day I had the feeling I have something worth finishing. It took me days to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Last year I didn't start until the end of week one. I knew I was going to be out of town on a trip that requried my full attention. The role of chaperone is not an easy job. Three night field trip required me to be a mom to a lot of girls that week and I still "won".  These facts might not help me because it might give me a false confidence that it could be done again this year.

I know this is frowned upon in NaNoWriMo land but I started a story on November 1st and I disliked. I really could not see where to go and how to finish. On day two I started over.  Yeah, wouldn't recommend it. I will not count the first two days so I lost word counts for two days but I know now I have a story I can finish.

I have always liked the quote I found on Pinterest.......


On day two I found myself in the wrong story. Fighting what I have been wanting to write all along. Somehow willing myself away from where I wanted and needed to be. Once I stopped fighting it all started to work for me. I know I can finish my story before the deadline, if only I would sit and write.  

I say all this because even though I lost the precious word counts that are the gold of November, I learned something about me as a writer. If I find myself in the wrong story, leave. I would not have had the learning experience of making a choice of leaving a story had I never even started to write. Those words matter just not for NaNoWriMo. They could end up being the most important words I wrote this year. 

Always look for the positive during NaNoWriMo it is a powerful fuel for writing.  

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