Thursday, November 28, 2013

NaNoWriMo Day 28: Giving Thanks and The End

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We spent time with family today. A family to which I have no blood or legal connection. But I do have connection of the heart. The head of this family, my partner's step-father, has been in my life for over thirty years, as have his adult children (my partner's step-siblings). There were other extended family members from others' second marriages and, well, it's complicated and I would have to draw you a chart to show the connections, as loose and fluid as it is. The family who have been around for these thirty years, I only see once or twice a year and it was good to see them. I am thankful to have these people in my life and to call them family. And I'm thankful for all of the good things in our lives. It is not perfect, there are some hard things, but overall, life is good.

Also, with two days left in NaNovember, I have completed the story. Yesterday I passed the 50,000 word mark and today I completed the plot. The book needs much editing, some plot points need changing, moving, expanding, enhancing, but the story is there from beginning to end.

The rule is to let it rest. I think of it like making bread: it has to rest and rise and then it's ready to be punched down and kneaded and let to rise again. Yes. It must rest and then it can be manipulated and shaped. But it must rise and "rise" for me and the novel is that I have to forget some of the little things, come back to it fresh, and renew my energy for the project. Then dive in, look at it fresh, and clean it up.

I like the story. Still. This is good.

This was my sixth consecutive NaNoWriMo win:

NaNoWriMo 2013: "The Center of the Universe
NaNoWriMo 2012: "Forty-nine Days of Bardo"
NaNoWriMo 2011: "Following Instinct: of Shadows and Edges"
NaNoWriMo 2010: "There Was This Garden"
NaNoWriMo 2009: "Cascade Lakes Footnotes" 
NaNoWriMo 2008: "Open Boxes"
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