I wrote 62, 567 words to win NaNoWriMo 2016, . Right now, I stand in the bloody field screaming victory. Maybe that’s not the analogy I want. Remember that Seinfeld episode where they go see a friend who just had a baby and the baby is so ugly they can barely stand to look at him? Yet, the mom and dad are smiling, happy and blissfully unaware of how ugly their baby is.

Well…Today I can kind of relate. I am the proud, covered in blood but adoring writer of an ugly manuscript.

A manuscript I wrote!

The difference is that I know it’s ugly and it will take a lot of effort to make it pretty and presentable to the world. But man…Am I proud!

I slay NaNoWriMo on the 22^nd and validated last night.

Heart of the Island is the manuscript equivalent of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Yes, she is hairy and warty. But she’s mine, crafted through my fingers. She’s the third proof that I can do it all over again. Every time I start a new book, I ask myself OMG can I really do it all over again. She’s my big fat yes, I can!

So how did I do it?

• I made a plan
• Set daily goals (around 2000 words a day)
• Let the imagination flow
• Didn’t put limits
• Didn’t stop to edit
• And kept going
• I didn’t look back. Just kept going.

It’s a lesson in self-control because my hands and inner editor itched to go back and fix and other than my misspellings (because I can’t stand knowingly having typos), I just controlled myself. I got to know my characters better and though, we still have about 27,000 words to go, to a first draft, and months before we sleep but, I’m smiling and happy.

How’s your NaNoWriMo experience going? If you didn’t do it, can you share why?  What do you find most challenging?