I’ve been a bit absent the past couple of months, but I haven’t been inactive. Far from it! Aside from my many personal obligations, November is National Novel Writing Month, which means that all across the globe, writers take on the monumental task of producing 50,000 words in 30 days. I’ve attempted it in the past, but have only completed it (as in, reached my goal of 50k) once, back in 2015. That novel is still undergoing some work, but it will get revisited at some point in the future. I took a break from NaNoWriMo the last two years, but decided to get back into it this year, and I’m glad I did! As of yesterday (11/27), I reached my 50k mark and am still going strong!
The thing is, this project is one that is near and dear to my heart. It’s one that began almost 10 years ago and sat dormant for a long time before I was inspired a couple months ago to pick it up again (shout out to my brother Isaac, who played a major role in that). After one very fruitful brainstorming session about something totally unrelated, I decided that I wanted to take on writing again more seriously, not just as a side project. Thus, my crazy life the last two months.
My ultimate goal this November was to get into a daily writing routine, and I met that goal head on. As anyone in my family can attest to, I’ve been just a little bit absorbed with this novel lately. In fact, my husband probably thinks I spend every waking moment thinking about it. (He’s not too far off-base on that one…) While that sort of attention isn’t what I’m striving for in the future, seeing as it’s not sustainable long-term, I am planning to spend more time pursuing a gift and passion area of mine. This blog was the beginning, and now it’s snowballing into something bigger.
What am I trying to say with all this?
Although I met the November word count goal, the story is far from over. There is much left to be told, which is why I am continuing to plug away at it until I have an entire draft finished. When I do finish the draft, I will post more about the story, as well as some of the challenges and joys of planning and drafting a novel.
I’m thankful for my family and friends who have been cheering me on and supporting me this month, and really my whole life. Knowing there are others demanding to read the book when it’s done is a pretty good motivation to finish, after all. But all joking aside, I’m truly blessed to be able to pursue something I love, and I pray that God will be glorified throughout it all.
I’ll be posting sporadic life updates when I have the time, and maybe even some other writing if it strikes my fancy. Until next time, my friends! Glad tidings of great joy this advent season!