Weee-oooo, Weeee-oooo, Editing Squad...

I am now 170-some odd pages into the red-pen expedition.  Words have been murdered, held hostage, forced into service, and volunteered as tribute. Another 100 or so pages until I can go back to tackling the last big chunks of word count to finish this beautiful bastard and set it free into the world, complete with Stockholm Syndrome and denial of their captivity.

I've found perfect places to make it beefy...  I'm really hoping to get it into semblance of completion by Sunday.  Let's face it; Thanksgiving week is not the place for ambitious word sprints, if you're spending time with family/friends that qualify as family.  Monday and Tuesday are those last ditch days before the 'phews get their break and I plan on jamming some headphones on and doing some line editing on my illustrations rather than any ambitious writing projects.  I easily do 2-3K daily on my lighter writing days, so that is where NaNo will go until the last week of the month. 

Yeah, it doesn't end with 50K and NaNo is a beginning, no matter where you fall.  It's the time we battle our personal best and come out on top.  I think the 50K goal is deceptive towards the point and why so many people opt out. Even the vocabulary of 'winning' seems like an odd choice for encouragement. The real point is the community.  I love sending messages to my Buddies and letting them know how I'm faring, seeing where they are in return.

If 'falling behind' creates too much stress, why not set up a more modest goal while participating.  'Winners' just get limited account access to writing services I don't see myself using.  As a fantasy writer, spellcheckers have very little help to offer me. Going trad-pub, I'll have editors working with me regardless.  Don't know about you, but my first draft is never so awful that they want to pluck out their eyes.  Actual human feedback always trumps a fancy program.

And that's really all I see.  It's bragging rights, discounted programs-- those may not be terribly exciting.  However, I can definitely vouch for the fun of an event that brings some lightness to the labors of love that we writers toil over. I highly encourage all writers to throw their hat in.  I'd like to do this annually, regardless of my personal goals.  We're creeping up on the halfway point and I am not less thrilled than that charge out of the gate.