What Just Happened?

Guys I did it! I did the thing! You know the one, right? That means that I won the thing! Cause I did all the stuff!

Sorry, but my brain is having trouble wording right now. See, I just finished writing 50,ooo (yes, FIFTY THOUSAND) words in 30 DAYS!

I’m a little bit in shock.

In case you couldn’t tell, I just finished National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I wrote every day (some days, like today, more than others.). I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. But thanks to some encouragement from friends and family, plus a mug of very hot tea, I have done something I have never done before! Well, several things, actually. Here’s a list:

#1: I wrote a book. Like, a full story. Granted, there’s still a lot I need to flesh out. But I wrote that whole dang story (minus the very end, but I have that all planned out). It is officially out of my head and on paper. Well, electronic paper.

#2: I wrote every day for a month straight. I usually do some sort of writing every day, whether for school or myself. But I don’t think I’ve ever written so consistently for a single project before. So I’m quite proud. Plus, the thought of not writing every day now seems rather odd. So yay for new habits!

#3: I made myself write when I didn’t think I had anything to say. Some would call it writer’s block. And this is something I’ve forced myself to do before, but never on such a large scale. There are pages of ramblings I probably won’t use, but they led to some pretty great stuff.

#4: I came to terms with the idea of a first draft. I’ve never considered myself a perfectionist, but I am when it comes to writing. I always want to wait until the story or scene is just right before I put it down in words. But I’ve come to realize that won’t happen unless I put it down in words. It will only get better once I have the chance to edit it. Besides, I often find the best things I write are the unplanned ones. They happen naturally as I’m writing.  So don’t be afraid of first drafts. They’re called rough drafts for a reason.

So that’s my big news for the weekend! I hope those of you who celebrated it this last week had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I certainly did, spending time with family and participating in various family holiday traditions.

Until next time, fellow wonderers!

Also, if you want to see some of the steps I took to reach the goal, check out my Facebook page, here.

And look! I got this cool little badge!