Thankfully, I Reflect

Ah, the end of another month :) It's recap time, and in the spirit of the American holiday Thanksgiving, even though technically I don't celebrate it, I've decided it's also a good opportunity to recap gratefully.

This month has been one of endings, in lots of ways. I've finished uni - for the year, for the course I was doing, and also my time at this particular university - we've 'finished' our time at our current house and made the decision to sell, I've finished a lot of personal things, and I feel like I've finished a certain chapter in my writing career, too. For some reason, as I sit down to write this today, and to write today, it all feels different.

In my NaNo novel, I've finished act one, where all the conflicts are introduced and the characters come on stage, and I'm up to the bit now where I need to start planning, to start weaving - and I think that's where I'm up to with my writing 'career' also. I've spent two years playing, having fun, letting myself run loose simply to see what happens (exactly like I do with act one in my novels), but now that's over. It's nearly a new year - a year in which I am determined to take my writing to the next level and begin querying. This is a step that, like the middle act of a book, is going to require forethought and planning. I'm going to have to dig through all the 'stuff' I've uncovered in my experimental act one, and find out what works, what doesn't - and what might if I twist it right.

I've learned a lot from my act one, and I am so grateful that the process has been so comparatively painless. My writing has improved in leaps and bounds, I know that, but what I'm most grateful for is the change in attitude. Writing is a job, now. One I adore, but also one I'm professional about. I've moved on from hobbyist, and I'm readier than ever to take it - and myself - seriously.

So, what exactly have I acheived this month? This:

* 19,134 words on Jesscapades, my primary focus for NaNo
* 12,731 words of assessment, including around 8,750 on a short story
* 2,024 words on a short story, Wolf of Ice, based in the same world as last year's NaNo, TBAEO (albeit with an extremely different tone)
* Other miscellaneous bits and pieces, which when added to the above give me a month's total of 39,407.

I failed NaNo by about 10.5k; it would have been really nice to crack 40k; it would have be great to crack 20k on Jesscapades.

But this is a time of thankfulness. I'm thankful that, given the horrors that have been both uni and my health this month, I got this much done. I'm thankful that my new work hours start today, which give me a better structure to my day and will facilitate more writing. I'm thankful that my husband is so supportive of my writing, and that we're progressing to the point where I can actually use him as a sounding board when I get stuck. I'm thankful for my insanely wonderful friends, most of whom read this blog, all of whom touch my life in unique and surprising ways, making it richer, fuller, better. I'm thankful for this blog, as a way to demonstrate my committment, discover my opinions, set myself goals.

I'm thankful, most of all, for the gift that is writing, in all its feverish, empassioned, messy, tangled glory - and thankful that I can partake of it.

Happy December, everyone. May the last month of this year count.