5,000 to go

Well, technically, 5,420 to go, plus a little slop to make sure I get verified by the NaNo verifier.

So why am I playing Spaceward Ho! instead of writing? There are only 2 days and 4 hours left! And tomorrow I am with the kids all day, so i shouldn’t be expecting to get too much done during the day.

Part of the problem is I’m not quite adjusted to the Pacific Time Zone yet. We flew to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, and I basically did two things: hung out quietly in the midst of chaos (let me tell you, when Darin’s extended family—and it extends a little more every year—gets together, there’s chaos to spare) and wrote. Twice I asked someone to take me to the local Borders for a few hours so I could write. I didn’t even look at any books. I just wrote.

I haven’t gone back to read what I’ve written (or, more exactly, I’ve read just pieces here and there, looking for new places to stick stuff in). I am sure of two things: the overwhelming majority of the 44,580 words I’ve produced so far are crap, and I’ve had a ton of fun producing them. One of the best features of NaNoWriMo is that you can’t stop to think or analyze or (worst of all) critique—there’s no damn time. Just vomit now. Think about it later.

I need 5,420 words (plus a few). Surely I can do an easy amount, like 1000 or 1500 tonight, yes?