I did it. I somehow managed to pound out 50,325 words in 29 days.  I finished or as the official NaNoWriMo term is:  I WON!  You really don’t win anything except writing software discounts, bragging rights and a badge to display such as the one on the right.  Look, isn’t it pretty!  But I digress, distracted by my shiny badge, a reminder of all the hard work, of every one of the 50,325 words I wrote, and of all I learned along the way…

Learning Curves:

I still have a lot to learn.

Each word I put on the page improves my writing.

Avoid dating during NaNo because something fabulous will inevitably happen.

Write more than the daily target in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Crappy words are the only ones I can write when I’m exhausted.

I still marvel at what flies from my fingers and onto the screen and often wonder where it all comes from.

I have a flabby middle. Again. Hours of work will be required to edit it into a six pack.

I can meet deadlines I’ve created myself even when there is an overabundance of distractions available.

Turning off twitter and my iphone and attaching to my ipod increases my productivity.

Writing the first draft is energizing compared to how drained I’ve felt while editing over the last couple of months.

If I put my mind to it, I can crank out more words per day than I ever dreamed possible.

I need to pack up and change locations when I get stuck.

Coffee via an IV is worth considering.

Stocking up on favourite snacks is imperative. A shortage during a momentous scene could mean disaster.

Walking helps unfreeze characters or plot jams.

I need to consider some more plotting and not just pantsing around.

I’ve learned never to underestimate how difficult this challenge is. I’m grateful and lucky not to have been working this month. I doubt I would have been able to finish if I had been. Hats off to everyone that started NaNo with other commitments, regardless of crossing the finish line.

Anything’s possible when you dare to dream and take a leap of faith…

A massive THANK YOU to all the NaNo support from family and friends, both in person and online.  Now if you’ll all excuse me, I think I’m going to go sleep for a week.