NaNoWriMo ’10 – Day 23

I’m looking down the line of the last week of National Novel Writing Month and waving at my winner’s certificate. Tomorrow is officially the start of the final 7 days of NaNoWriMo 2010 and I’m floating right along with exactly the prescribed word count for each day. Unless the apocalypse happens before next Tuesday, I’ve got this cat in the bag. *looks around suspiciously*

This past week has been pretty awesome. I’ve had a few days where I wrote very little, if no words at all, but always, the very next day, I make up the deficit by writing twice as much, if not more. In fact, on Sunday this week I had my best word count day ever in the history of NaNoing. Drum roll please…3,482 words! (Shout out to Arlene!) Within those nearly 3,500 words, I also wrote my favorite scene of the book so far. I won’t give it all away but I will tell you it involves the game of HORSE and some interesting secrets… Also, a VERY sexy landscaper. Something I learned this week, because of this up and down pattern I’ve had, is to trust myself. During my first year of NaNo, I would go crazy if I got behind for even a day because I didn’t believe in myself enough to think I could catch up. This year, I don’t even blink an eye because I have no doubt that I can catch up if I fall behind. I never knew I could write so much in a single day and how easy it would feel.

As much as I love NaNoWriMo, though, there’s a conspiracy happening. I’m sure of it. I don’t know who’s doing it or why but I swear to you, my hands never see a scratch on them the entire year but as soon as November comes around and my tools of the craft are most needed, I always end up damaging them! Last year, I made Cup Noodles and in carrying it back to my laptop where I planned to continue writing, I spilled it and burned my hand. It was pretty bad too! All over the skin between my thumb and forefinger and down my knuckles. I even got something resembling blisters between my third and fourth finger. This year? On Saturday when my husband was gone and I had to make the fire myself, I burned my fingers, yet again, on the handle of the wood burning stove. The first thing I thought was, No! My word count! The second thing I thought was, ice. Luckily, after about thirty minutes, they felt back to normal. No harm done. So Sunday night, I was straightening up the house quickly between word sprints and I jammed my middle finger in my nightstand! I’m seriously waiting for the bruise. It’s either the normal hazards of writing so much in such a short amount of time and being forced to eat crappy microwaved food and clean like a Nascar pit crew…or a conspiracy.

12,000 words left and counting and I am so looking forward to crossing that finish line at this time next week and printing out my winner’s certificate. It’s going to look so pretty next to my other two.

P.S. I lied. I totally love Cup Noodles.