NaNoWriNOMO

Finished the last 1000 or so words this morning and folks, it was painful. I do feel proud of myself for finishing something I set out to do, but I swear I will never ever do it again.

Though I did manage to hit the 50,000 mark, I didn't end up with a novel, or anything close to it. I have a storyline, some characters, and a ton of really forgettable dialogue. This isn't me being modest, I really don't think this project produced anything exciting, though it does have a beginning and and end.

Was it worth the time? Absolutely, but not for the writing itself. By sticking with it, I did get a better feel for the discipline required to actually produce anything substantial. I think I improved my speed and gained some needed confidence along the way. I went into this as more of an exercise of toughness, to prove to myself that I had the sticktoitness to be serious about writing, and in that way, it was a total success.

Now that I have finished, I can get back to the smaller moments, the little beautiful bits of writing that I am hoping will lead me to bigger things. I am working on a series of short stories. I'd like to get ten or so under my belt before tackling the novel again.

If you liken the experience to running a marathon, the next 6K should feel a ton easier and more rewarding now. And eventually, when I get back to it, I'm hoping run the full thing and cross the finish line without gasping for air as I collapse into the gatorade stand.