NNWM/28: 50,000

I have a new favorite word in my vocabulary. That word is several. It’s a simple word, really. Merriam-Webster defines it as “an indefinite number; more than two and fewer than many.” I like it for another reason: it is the 50,000th word in my novel, Dream Sailors. Which means I have successfully completed my first-ever NaNoWriMo! With two days to spare, no less. Although, in all fairness, I got a jump start on my book two days early when I embarked upon my writer’s retreat in a vintage trailer on the Washington coast over Halloween weekend. Still, I completed it in 30 days either way, so there is no asterisk beside that accomplishment as far as I’m concerned!*

*Except one. But I’ll talk about that in my final post this month. I’m too busy celebrating now.

Up until a few days ago, I wasn’t even sure that I’d reach my NaNoWriMo goal. You have to write 1,667 words a day, every single day, for 30 days, in order to hit that magic number. That’s a lot, especially when you haven’t so much as looked at your novel in almost a year. Doubly so when you’re working without any sort of outline or draft. But I’m a sucker for personal challenges and was able to plow through and pick up my pace over the holiday weekend. When I realized I was getting close, I decided to take today off and focus 100% on writing. And that’s exactly what I did. I forced myself to get out of bed at the usual time – 5:45 – and other than a walk, coffee, lunch, and a shower, I did nothing but write. And at 4:45 p.m. I reached my goal with the word “several.” Honestly, I am relieved as hell. I feel like I can finally take a breather for the first time in a month. No, my novel isn’t finished. I probably still have another 30,000 words or so to go. But I will get there, and I can do so on my own schedule now.

I’ll still update my blog the next two days. I promised one entry a day all month long, and that commitment is an easy one to keep.

Word Count Today: 4,580.
Total Word Count: 50,181.