Ah, friends. So glad you stopped by š
Yesterday was the last day of NaNoWriMo 2018 and I finished with 36,828 words. Itās basically what I predicted. In one way, itās a comfort that I know myself so well. In another, itās disappointing that I can no longer push myself beyond what I know to be my limits.
Well, I could, but here I am on December first, exhausted, as it is. Mind you November also gave me the gift of a time shift courtesy of Daylight Savings and that tends to upset my sleep for a week or two afterward. Losing an hour is worse than gaining one. So, thereās that.
Letās break down the final week of NaNo, shall we?
Sunday last week, I wrote 1,194 words.
Monday, I managed 1,039.
Tuesday, 1,047.
Wednesday, despite having what ended up being a two-hour recording session (Iāll let you know when the result is available online and you can hear what a total nerd I am in comparison to the composed and brilliant people I get to work with), I wrote 1,069 words š
Thursday was another rough day and I only managed 705 words.
And on Friday, I wrote 1,525 words.
What that means is that Iām past the first plot point in Tamisashki and heading for the midpoint.
Whatās ahead?
Iām going to continue drafting at the much more reasonable pace of 500 words a day. I may write more, particularly on a weekend or day off, but 500/day is my goal pace and if I end up taking a day off here and there, I can definitely afford it š Iāll probably be drafting into March or April, depending on how things go.
I also have a couple of critiques due, which Iām going to work on in the next week, a DIY MFA team meeting on the 5th, my next column for DIY MFA will be due on the 11th, and I think that will keep me busy for the month.
Iām also going to start my annual planning cycle, set my goals for 2019, and be on the lookout for Jamie Raintreeās 2019 writing and revision planner š
Finally, Iām going to shift back into a more normal routine. Curation will pick up again not this coming, but the next week.
In other news, yesterday was also Philās last day at his day job. He has to go back to fulfill a couple of key obligations, but heās now officially retired. Technically, heās on vacation into the New Year and has some severance that will carry him through until March 31st of 2019. Itās a nice little cushion and will give him the time he needs to decompress and decide whatās next for him.
Torvi is showing every sign of becoming a sweet dog. She still gets inordinately excited when meeting other dogs and people, but sheās calming down. She also still has the irritating habit of getting bity when she has a want and canāt think of another way to express it. And she hasnāt distinguished between good and bad attention yet, but I think sheās beginning to.
Health-wise, Iām quite content, not having had a legitimate period since May. I don’t know whether it’s the ablation, or menopause setting in proper, but it’s wonderful. Iāve settled in at a thirty-pound weight loss since this time last year. Iām almost back to my wedding weight, which is a good place for me to be. While I could stand to lose a little more, I can definitely live with my current size, shape, and general sense of wellbeing.
Iām going to see my doctor this week to check on my blood pressure (Iāve seen signs of elevation, recentlyāwhatās stressful for Phil is also stressful for me; also the uncertainty of not knowing how weāre going to survive after March 31st on half our incomeāso, yeah), a few new aches and pains, and a particularly irritating keratinaceous growth (AKA, horn) that may need to be removed.
And thatās about it for this monthās update.
Next month will see my end of year wrap-up and Iāll share my 2019 goals.
Until Tipsday fires up again on Dec 11th, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!