Challenge Accepted

So as some of you know, I've been participating in NaNoWriMo this month (National Novel Writing Month in case some of you didn't know), using it as a means to keep me on track and motivated for my creative writing novel project. I started off November with a 10,000 word lead (which I promptly lost by being inactive for six days) and this past weekend was looking bleak. I was well over 3,000 words behind, I had a lot of stress from other classes...It all just seemed rather impossible. I was convinced I was never going to catch back up. All I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch Grimm Friday night and Once Upon a Time on Sunday. Every time there came an opportunity to leave the house, I did it. I brought a notebook along with me, but it was just a way to lie to myself by convincing myself that I could write while I was out. Yeah, right. I don't write in notebooks. Never really have. Not my thing. So my big journal was just an accusatory weight in my bag, causing the strap to dig into my shoulder and remind me that I was just procrastinating.

And then, I don't know. I guess I rallied. I sat myself down at my computer--my lovely, lovely computer with it's lovely, lovely internet connection--and I forced myself to open my word document. The word count was discouraging, Facebook and my other favorite websites were calling... But I opened the Nano site. Did some math. Figured I could catch back up if I spaced out about a thousand or so words over four hours. It was a good plan.

I did not follow that plan.

I sat there and I grit my teeth and I wrote, and wrote, and wrote. Passed my scheduled quota. Kept going. Wrote until I couldn't write anymore, and stopped for the night, picking back up on Sunday. And you know what? I did it. I couldn't believe it, but I actually freaking did it. I caught way the hell back up, and yesterday I did my part again. I will do my part again tonight. And, hopefully, I will continue to do so. This might just be the year I win Nano. This might be the year I write my first ever shitty novel.

And I have never been so happy. There are months I'll have to dedicate to edit this thing afterwards, aside from the first draft edits I have to turn in as my final project, but that's alright. Chances are no one else will even see this story. And that's okay, too, because I wrote it for me.

You know you've found something good when, even during those moments when it feels an awful lot like work, you can't stop smiling at the end of your "shift."

And I hope the feeling lasts.

Unrelated, for the most part, here is my song:

My last song was by them, too. I am pretty much in love with this entire album. It's been so long since I've found one where I like EVERY. SINGLE. SONG. I'll try not to bombard this blog with all the songs from this album all at once, though. Variety and all that.

That said, I MISS YOU GUYS. Winter break cannot come fast enough.