My first post about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was in 2008 and I have been participating in NaNoWriMo since 2004 and in those SEVEN years, I have failed to reach my 50,000 word goal. TWO out of those seven years, I did complete a novel but not in the one month time frame. I look at it as “not so bad.”

Two days into NaNoWriMo, I’m on pace where I should be and I could not be more proud of myself. Normally, I come into this challenge already talking myself into defeat.

This year, I wanted it to be different. Somewhere last night while running, which murdered my poor shins, something inside clicked. Something said, you can do this run. It’s not going to be easy, but you can run this route you’ve been walking for months now. Though I didn’t run the route 100%, I did run the route about 85%. I winced through the shin pain, the cramps, and pinky toe that was falling asleep. I was proud of myself.

I took that pride with me to the writing desk. For a moment, I just sat there staring at the last few words that I had written and asked myself NOW WHAT? Where were these characters going? What did I want them to do? What did I want from them?

To tell you the truth, I had no clue how to answer those questions. NONE.

I sat and thought a moment more and then said fuck it, just write. Write whatever you want the characters to say, do, or feel. Just write. It doesn’t have to be right. It just needs to be written.

So I wrote…and I wrote. I made up the Day One Deficit of NaNoWriMo and put myself about 200 words for Day Three.

It wasn’t perfect. It definitely isn’t pretty, but there was an audible click in my head, my heart, and in my spirit. I found my writing again. (I know I’ve said that several times already here on this site, but this time, I mean it.).

This story will be told. December 1st, come hell or high water, this story will be complete.

Listening to “If God Will Send His Angels (Big Yam Mix) by U2