As always, I’d like to begin this week’s progress report by thanking all of you awesome people who’ve followed, liked and/or commented on my blog!

Here are this week’s stats:

Words Written This Week: 14,065

Words Written So Far: 14,065

Last Chapter of Rough Draft Completed: The part between chapters 4 and 5 (it’s complicated)

Chapters To Go (subject to change): 12 (not counting the parts between some chapters)

Days Until November 30th Goal Date: 22

Thoughts?

For the most part, I’ve had a strong start to NaNoWriMo this year and am very pleased with what I’ve accomplished so far. I’ve hit every word-count target that I’ve set for myself (1,000 words on busy work days, 1,500 words on regular work-only days, 3,000 words on weekend days).

That said, it hasn’t been all roses. For one thing, NaNoWriMo updated their website between last NaNo and this one. Normally, I’m pretty tech-savvy, but I messed up something and though my word count is right, it thinks I didn’t write on November 1st and my days streak and badges are a day behind because of this. It’s not a big deal, but I have written everyday since last Friday. For another thing, I had a very rough writing day this past Wednesday. I learned within a few hours of stopping and getting to the day job that it was just growing pains. I needed to add another aspect to my story and I quickly figured out that that was the issue.

That said, the doubt monster has been loud this NaNo, mostly due to all of the changes I’ve gone through this year. Mom and I moved, I had to finance a new car, we lost a beloved family pet. Not to mention, my monthly mood swings were getting so intense that I made the decision to go back on birth control. In the past, being on any kind of medication that helps regulate my moods/hormones seemed to hinder my creativity. I know how damaging of a thought that is, and also how untrue it is, but that old thought has hung in the back of my mind as I’ve begun writing this book. What if all of those changes blocked my writing? What if all of my writerly magic was tied up in the way life was before?

14k+ words later, I can tell you I was wrong for thinking any of those things. I’m a writer, no matter where I live, what I drive, the losses I’ve faced, and the way with which I choose to manage my mental health.

Also, special side note, if you like what I write, go check out my good friend’s free online story, Scars and Souvenirs. I read part of an early draft of this and I highly recommend it.

Goals For The Coming Week

According to my projected word-count spreadsheet, I should be closing in on 30k words written by this time next week, well over the halfway mark for NaNo and nearing the halfway mark for the length I’d like this book to be. I’ve also been leisurely reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and I’d like to finish that soon so I can use one of my NaNo self-rewards to rent the movie and relax.

Note To Self

I’m going to repeat myself here: I’m a writer, no matter where I live, what I drive, the losses I’ve faced, and the way with which I choose to manage my mental health. And I’m about to have three books to prove it.