So I signed up for NaNoWriMo with a 40k goal instead of 50k. I wanted the goal to be reasonable for my busy life and my middlegrade book felt like a mid-40k book. I rarely have time to write on the weekends because of the other half of this blog's namesake - riding.
On top of owning 6 horses, I have a horse in for training this month. She's a sweet girl, but someone had been handling her a little roughly, yanking on her mouth and possibly punishing her if she spooked or moved too fast or slow. Working with a horse that someone else has trained is a little like panstering a book.
I might have a rough plan of what I want to do with her, but if she gets stuck or says she's suddenly afraid of a crop, I make a detour and focus on this new thing. And sometimes, fixing that one thing makes everything else fall into place. And it's so cool, so unexpectedly beautiful when it does. Writing or Riding.
I'm glad I signed up for NaNo. I work well with a deadline. Maybe I should aim for that 50k! But I know it needs to be a logical goal. In the past, I've told myself my prime writing hours are from around 9am to noon, or maybe a little longer if I'm on a roll. If I didn't get BIC during those hours, I allowed myself to "write-off" writing for the day.
This month is different. I've written 500 words mid-afternoon sitting in the truck while my husband drilled post holes for a friend. I had a dentist appointment in the morning and wrote 2500 words that afternoon. I don't need a comfort zone. I need a goal! Thank you NaNoWriMo.
And for the record, as of November 13th, I am 1550 words ahead of today's goal.
