Nanowrimo update #3: Done!

Yes, I know we're in the fourth and final week of NaNoWriMo; but as some of you know, I came down with a cold that put me out of commission for a couple of days last week.

It didn't stop me, however, from "winning" NaNoWriMo one week early. I called the first draft of this new novel "finished" as well.

Despite my feeling lousy, I was a woman possessed. It wasn't just about the word count. (Although, let's face it--the word count makes me uber-competitive.) I was on a mission to get the story on the page -- when that happens, it's a sign of just how in love I am with the story I'm telling.

Mind you, what I've got as of right now is far from Finished with a capital F. An important part of writing a novel is putting the manuscript away for a while (I'm giving this one approximately a month) and letting that mysterious piece of where it all comes from simmer. What I will likely find when I begin the revision process (and the revision process always begins with reading) are poorly worded sentences/descriptions, uneven pacing, aspects of character that need to be significantly developed, and scenes needing to be added, deleted, and/or replaced. But that's the fun part for me. The last three weeks were all about the typing. Revision is about the writing.

In the meantime, I'm catching up on other people's novels. And cheering my fellow writers on during these last few days of NaNoWriMo. You can do it!

---