50,466 words, 28 days, one tech week, three performances, 4 procrastinated papers, 2 live theatre shows (as an audience member), a weekend in Banff, a weekend at camp, multiple nights in Denny's, too many Sev runs to count, at least 10 3 a.m. nights trying to reach the quota, one laptop that came in the middle of the month, approximately 22,000 words written longhand, one reading week, one board presentation, and two coffees with the other Nanos later,
it's finished!!!!!!October 30: I just signed up for NaNoWriMo. Or, for the uninitiated (as I was until about 3 hours ago), National Novel Writing Month. Yes, I'm committing to write a 50,000-word novel by November 30. I start on Friday.
I have no plot. I have no characters. I have no idea what shape this is going to take, but I'm excited for it nonetheless. I think it'll be fun... definitely a challenge, and I don't know if I'll finish it, but it'll be fun. And I'm not going to self-defeat before I ever get started!
I didn't think that I would ever get here, but I did.
I honestly think that someone else must have taken over my brain, though, because there's no way that I could have done this.
Honestly, I don't know. Really... I mean, this month, I had a show that I was stage managing, a presentation to the board for the Sr. High drama trip, school, papers, rehearsals for "Everyman," helping Kat plan the wedding and make invitations and stuff, starting the novel longhand, getting a computer at over 20,000 words, and having to type them all out... I just don't know. And I'm not trying to sound like I'm bragging, because I'm not.
November 6: So some of the Nanos met for coffee and book discussions last night. I always find it interesting to meet people that I've had some contact with over the internet--it's interesting to put a face and real-life personality to the online personality... It's not always what I expect. In fact, it's pretty rarely what I expected. I'm pretty bad at guessing people's appearances based on their voices--audible or written.
I'm just still wondering how I managed to do it. Or if I'll wake up tomorrow, check the computer, and find my wordcount somewhere around 30,000. Somehow, that wouldn't surprise me all that much.
I'm wondering how long this adrenaline rush (fuelled by a medium Slurpee at 2:00 a.m.) will last. This is why I don't have class tomorrow--I can stay up until 5 a.m. and not worry about anything.
November 9: I promised myself that I wouldn't write in here until I'd hit my quota for the day, and I'm somewhere around 15,140 words at this moment. Today's quota? 15,002. It's so nice to be above for the first time since about the second day of this thing. Hopefully I can keep gaining a bit for the next few days, and by the time I go back to school on Wednesday, I'll be a few days ahead of the game. And I even got my laundry done in the middle of it.
If I was really a glutton for punishment, I'd try to do my new layout now, just because I have the time.
Hmmm... that's an idea. I just might have to...
November 12: My laptop finally came!!!!! Which means that I'll be up all night trying to type out nearly 21,000 words of a novel. Ah well... it'll be a fun, caffeine-filled evening. :o)
No! No! *slaps hand* Must go to bed. You're starting to talk to yourself in the form of a diary entry. People will start to think you're crazy. If you start a layout now, you'll still be up and working on it when Kat gets up for class tomorrow. That is, assuming she goes to class tomorrow.
November 25: And, despite staying up that late, did I get any writing done yesterday? Very little... I have to really power down today to get back on track. And I have to finish this novel. I just don't have a choice anymore. I can't have come this far and have well over 35,000 words written, and have made it all the way through tech week, still on target, and then just leave it. It's not gonna happen. I'll pull all-nighters all week if I have to, but I will finish this novel, and I'll finish it by Saturday.
*sigh* I don't know what exactly it is that I'm feeling right now. This month has been one of the most interesting ever. It's been a journey. I've said that all along, but I'm seeing now how much more true it is than I ever gave it credit for being.
I'm kind of sad to see it over, to be honest... this has been such an experience, and in a way, I almost want to see it continue. I don't know how I feel about it ending--I've become very attached to my characters, and I don't necessarily want to leave them behind.
However, it will be wonderful to be able to enjoy my weekend without my wordcount hanging over my head.
*sigh*
Can I say any more than that?
infinite || abyss
posted at 4:34 a.m.
