I think I hurt myself! Ow! It feels like a truck full of germs hit me hard then backed up and ran over me again. Is this what happens to those of us in a writing marathon?I had such great hopes for this weekend. Until the day after thanksgiving. My goal was to get the book to 45,000 words. I ran into a problem with the name of the antagonist and the title of the book. Youngest Prince, dearest husband and I may have resolved that issue but it did take time away from writing.

Demands of life pushed in. I pushed back some and made the writing a priority. I was doing good until I awoke on Friday morning to the sound of severe coughing. My husband had come home from work with a fever. By morning he was sick in bed with a horrible head cold. For the last two days, in-between caring for him and some online shopping, I was writing.

I was doing pretty well and figured I could still hit my target. Until the yesterday about noon. I started feeling bad too. First the cough then, the sore throat. My writing slowed down considerably. I still wrote over 3,000 words yesterday. When I woke up this morning I felt like a train wreck. I’ve only logged 1,000 words today by one o’clock.

I feel like a fatigued runner in a race hitting the wall. I can see the finish line but it’s still so far way. My finish line is Thursday the 30th. Like that runner I have to decide whether to quit or keep trying. You know 39,000 words in a month is not too shabby for a newbie in NaNoWriMo. I am severely tempted to quit and go back to bed.

Then I thought of all the news stories over the years where a marathon runner pulls themselves across the finish line. Some are literally on their knees. Watching these runners handle this kind of pressure and endurance humbles me. I find the stamina and grit to achieve such a feat inspiring.

Right now I’m at 39,000 words in my novel. I’m wondering if I can actually write 11,000 words in four and a half days to be declared a “NaNoWriMo Winner.” I want it. I can feel it. It’s close. I have to keep trying. I will pick myself up and keep going if only at the pace of a walk.

After a hot shower to ease the pain in my joints, I’m clearing the calendar! I’ve decided to try at least. I may be up late and up early but I can sleep on the weekend! Right?

I will post again after the 30th. If nothing else I’ll have an adventure and a final word count to report.

Have a good week y’all, God Bless

Milly