On winning NaNoWriMo 2015

First of all: Woot!

I hadn't been planning to do National Novel Writing Month this past year, but Tree of Write On, Mom! asked if I was going to, and so I did.

I am very suggestible.

The idea popped into my head that I could use the opportunity to do something I'd been meaning to, which was write the second book in my mystery series. And so I did! And now I feel so much better!

It's still a crappy first draft, because I'm working on finishing up editing the first one right now instead of fixing the second, but it's nice to have the story written and sitting there ready to edit. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

It makes me think I should write a novel every other month or so. Maybe every three months, with two off to edit? (This isn't going to happen, but apparently it could!)

Wordless Wednesday: NaNoWriMo word count

That word count graph is accurate and makes me laugh pretty hard. (You can click on it to see it bigger.) The purple line is where I was supposed to be each day, and the blue bars are where I actually was. But here I am now, on the other side! Procrastination pays off.

Linked up at Hobo Mama and Natural Parents Network!

I'd like to thank my NaNoWriMo sponsor

After having already started National Novel Writing Month and during the process of deciding how much to donate to the cause, I found out that Wrimos can get sponsored.

This is quite appealing in a number of ways. For NaNoWriMo the organization, it means more money coming in than an individual would likely give. For the novelist, though, I imagine that sponsorship would add an extra layer of impetus to finish and win. As a blogger, I would also love sponsorship to give me blog fodder and, I don't know, maybe some swag?

So I was thinking about seeking out sponsorship next year when it dawned on me:

I already had a sponsor.

I could not have won NaNoWriMo without the financial, emotional, and familial support of my husband, Sam.

So this is my shout-out to Sam, who managed the retail family business in the pre-Christmas season, who took over the parental duties as a more-or-less full-time work-from-home dad when normally we split childcare of our two-year-old, and who has consistently encouraged me and believed in me as a writer. Thank you for letting me be a wholehearted author for one spectacular, frenzied month.

Sam's taking the month of December, and beyond as needed, to work on a nonfiction book that's been percolating for years. I like to think my two years of NaNo success have afforded some inspiration, and I'm trying to sponsor him in return.

Thank you, Sam. You know you're the person I want to dedicate all my books to.

I have cross-posted something similar at
HoboMama.com, my parenting blog,
if you'd like more details on
Sam's month o' Mikko.

Wordless Wednesday: From 50,000 words to one

Link up at Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom