As the emoticons in my title might tell you, I have some mixed feelings about my performance in NaNoWriMo this year. The challenged ended with on Monday, and I had 27,000 words in the month of November. Part of me feels really great and excited about that. My any other month’s standards that is A LOT of words for me to write. Those first two weeks, I also really regained a sense of fun and play in my writing – which is incredibly valuable. I’m much further along in understanding what this new story may some-day, one-day be about – and I’m really excited about it. These are all good things. Everyone is a winner, right?
The thing is that as much as I believe those things, I still didn’t “win”. I didn’t meet my goal of writing 50,000 words … which is okay, obviously. I mean no houses are going to burn down and no one is going to the hospital (or whatever) because of my inferior word count. But I do think it sets a dangerous precedence in writing and life to make goals and then not fulfill them … especially because I basically made the choice not to keep going with this project mid-month when I realized the project I want to use as my thesis needed a lot more work than I thought.
So yeah, mixed feelings this time around. But still overall grateful for the experience and think more good than bad came from participating this year. Congratulations to everyone who participated and the dedicated, hardworking writers that reached 50K – I salute you!!!
Alison Doherty 
I think you should celebrate 27k! There is nothing wrong with keeping an eye on your target and adjusting as needed … you have a LOT on your plate!
(Or maybe I’m just trying to justify things in my own life. :-))
Thanks, Jackie. I am more happy than sad about it, honestly for all the reasons you mentioned. And I do think it’s better to keep the larger picture goal in the forefront above smaller goals I make along the way.
GOOD! If I wrote 27k in a month, I’d be over the MOON!
I only got to about 10k which on the one hand is 10k more than I’d written the month before, but yeah – life got in the way and I ended up pushing it to the backburner, but I think it was for good causes and I’m certainly planning to get back to it either way.
Yeah, in the end I think any words written are a success and I’m glad you are planning on continuing with your story!