#NaNoWriMo Winner!

I won National Novel Writing Month by the skin of my teeth. Just 20 words over the required 50k! It's my second year participating and winning, but I have to say, this year was a lot harder than last. For one thing, my current day job (which I'm actually leaving soon) is a lot more grueling than the one last year. Normally November is a busy month in my old position because we have a deadline of the end of February to finish up some substantial work, but last year, we didn't have as much to do as many of the projects were cancelled due to Covid. But in my current position, it's nonstop craziness. 

But I did it, and I'm proud to have gotten such a great start on my next novel. I'm hoping to keep the momentum going through December and finish the first draft by the end of the year. If I do, I will have completed two novels this year, all while editing my first (and the one that's going to be published!). 

I'm not sure if I'll participate in #NaNoWriMo next year. My plan so far for the year is to edit, extensively. I have the two novels I wrote this year to polish up before I can query them, and I'll be editing A Home for Christmas for publication (hopefully by next Christmas). I also wanted to focus more on short stories instead of another novel next year so I can submit to literary magazines and build up my writing career there as well.

As if all of that won't keep me busy enough, I'm also graduating from my MFA in July. So, Home will be edited for my thesis (probably a very different version than what will be published. MFA's really don't seem to get genre fiction at all). But as I work on that thesis, I'm also finishing up the last of my workshop submissions in the spring. I think I have six more submissions to go, so I'm going to be very busy at least through the first half of the year.

We'll see how I feel when November rolls around again. Maybe I'll have a novel idea that I'm itching to get down on paper. Maybe I'll take a break and just enjoy the beginning of the holiday season. Or maybe it will be time to finally start the fantasy trilogy that has been in my head for years. I'm still not sure I'm ready for all that world building, but it might be time to face those fears!

Congrats to everyone who participated in #NaNoWriMo, whether you "won" or not, you're a winner for even attempting the feat!