The 30 day NaNoWriMo Challenge is over. On November 30, 2017 the challenge ended. The participants either made it to our personal finish line or we didn’t…What happened to Milly? That is the question. My answer: It’s a long story…

The week itself was a blur with activities, emergencies, and writing along with, not conquering the blasted, which will be forever known as the Thanksgiving head cold. It felt like finals week from college all over again! Ugh! I left that behind thirty years ago! I have no clue what I wrote this week. I seemed to follow the logical progression of my plot. But maybe that’s all in my head.

On day 29 at ten thirty p.m, my brain screamed “I don’t want to write anymore! No Words! No More!” The counter read 48,034 words.  What to do…What to do…Well that particular night I went to sleep.

I thought over the month. What happened:

• Discovering I can consistently write 1,000 words per day (life without distractions? Hmm…)
• Three dad emergencies.
• Found I can create on the fly. Ideas can be captured. Just don’t let them go!
• At work we had workload increases. Met those deadlines!
• What? It’s not a straight-up romantic suspense? It’s a Christian romance? Say what? The book begins writing itself.
• Neglected family – I don’t think they minded not having family dinners or skipping lots of chores.
• Turkey Day!
• A solid start on a novel
• Burning eyeballs.
• I still don’t know if the antagonist is male or female. It’s my own gender confusion situation…The character has not revealed itself. Is that weird?
• One assisted living option investigated (need a lawyer now).
• Black Friday weekend shopping! Online of course!
• Found out I probably can’t use my working title. Can I spell awsuit? {wink}
• Sick leave – Counting dear husbands’ combined with mine: 7 days total (Note to self, save up sick leave if I want to try this again!)
• Neglected home (see neglected family above).
• 50,400 words

The 30th day of NaNoWriMo, I spent sporting a 101 degree fever and managing a wicked sinus headache/migraine. I only had 1966 words left to go. I couldn’t give up. I literally took it 100 words at a time. I’d write, then go find some tea, and breathe some steam. Doze a bit, and do another couple hundred words. I stopped at 11 chapters and 50,400 words. The transitions, final prank, and capture of the antagonist along with an epilogue (What happens to Cora and Gable?) have yet to be written. I think there are a few more chapters in my head. I reminded myself: The challenge was 50,000 words. Claim the win!

In the final few painful steps, I validated the novel and crossed the finish line! Euphoria! The energy of adrenaline surged through my veins. Woo hoo, little happy dance in front of my computer. Coughing fit! Go find the tea…

I can’t bring myself to look at those last 2,366 words. The dialogue seemed to make sense as I wrote it but…I’m not sure my memory is actual reality. I am putting the book away for a few weeks. Then somewhere around the Christmas holiday, I will pick up this monstrosity of a novel, and with a jaundiced eye, see if there is anything salvageable for sale in those pages. At that time, I will face the work ahead or the disappointment. For now I revel in the win.

Have a great weekend!

Milly

P.S. You know how I love words. Well in my T-Day travels I found the red nightshirt in the photo. I had to have it. When I got home, I showed it to the youngest prince. He promptly quipped. “That is you mom! It’s always a long story.” I’m wearing it as I write tonight. I thought it was apropos since this whole month has been a long story! {giggle}