ALMOST DONE . . .

It is now day 23 . . . and I am ALMOST done . . . My word count is (right this moment) 48,462 . . . so I have a little over fifteen hundred words left to write.

I am SOOOOooOOOOOO close . . .

I have to say that this has really been a good experience.

I started it a little overwhelmed and scared, worried that I could NEVER write fifty thousand words in only thirty days . . . and I have discovered along the way that I most certainly CAN . . . and it didn't even have to take over my life to do it. I still had time to watch TV in the evenings with my husband . . . serve in my callings (even prepare for and teach a RS lesson during the month) . . . play with my grandkids . . . keep my house cleaned . . . cook actual meals . . . I even took Sundays off, with no ill effects. Well almost no ill effects . . . I do have to admit that on Mondays it was a little harder to get back 'into' my story after a full day away, not even THINKING about my story line or characters.

Despite that little difficulty, however, I still think taking a break each week was a good idea. I liked the mental break, and I think it has kept me from being totally overwhelmed or consumed by this project . . . because frankly, I can get way obsessive . . . ;o)

And, I have to say that I like my story . . . in all its rough edges-currently-unedited/unpolished glory . . .Oh, its not an 'important' story . . . It really isn't. It isn't epic on any level . . . and I know that, but I wont apologize for it.

It is just the quiet little story about a young girl growing up . . . learning to deal with changing family dynamics . . . navigating the shifting loyalties of friendships . . . being willing to try new, stretchy experiences . . . making new friends . . . dealing with new feelings and new experiences . . .

She doesn't have all the answers . . . she doesn't speak in a steady stream of witty, hip one-liners . . . the adults are not stupid, two-dimensional cartoons that are the perceived cause of all her problems in life . . .

I like my characters . . . I like how this is flowing together like a story, and that the characters are almost taking on a life of their own, saying and doing things that I hadn't envisioned, and that almost seem outside my control, though, of course, it IS my fingers on the computer keys . . .

I am so glad I gave this a try, even though it was scary for me.

This has been GOOD for me . . .



And I am already well aware that I will MISS it . . . even though, there is, of course, nothing to prevent me from continuing to write, continuing to work on this story, continuing to polish it and work out the inconsistencies and smooth the rough edges . . .

Still, working on this challenge this month has seemed almost magical . . . and I am loathe to have that end . . . It has added a little sparkle to my life that I have absolutely LOVED . . .

I think that it has turned me into . . . yeah . . . one of those . . .





A writer . . .


WOW . . .