This Writing Thing

I wanted to do a quick post, and reflect a little on this project I’ve taken on for the month of November.  As you may recall, and can see from my Weekly Twitter Updates, I’ve been attempting to complete the NaNoWriMo competition by writing 50k words by the end of November.  Basically, it’s a chance to finally attempt the task I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time now – get down the words to a story.  I’ve been struggling with this task for years, probably ever since I could put two sentences together.  I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, and reading them, and I’ve always been meaning to try and write some of them down.  This month, and for the past two months now, I’ve finally begun that task.  I’m doing the easy part now, according to my friend Shawn (an avid writer and fan of the written word), and just getting down the words.  The hard part of editing will come later.  I know I’ll be chucking out most of what I’ve written thus far, but that’s not what this post is about.  Today, it’s all about the writing.

Currently, I’m up to about 13000 words.  That’s just this month.  If you also count the words I wrote last month, I’ve topped over 20k words since getting back from Provincetown with Nate for my birthday.  Just over 30 days ago, I started earnestly putting pen to paper (well, typing, but you get my point), and look how far I’ve come?  I’ve actually got over 20k words!

If I think about it, and let it sink in, honestly, I feel so proud of myself.  I know, I know, I shouldn’t gloat and it sounds kind of tacky to wax poetically about this, but truth be told, I’m in a spot where I need something like this in my life.  Each day is a measurable step towards something greater, perhaps, and without putting too much pressure on myself, or on the story, I’m really hoping to make this act of writing a life-time thing.

Does that mean I’m writing exquisite prose at every turn? Hell no!  Like I said, this is just about getting down the words.  Yes, someday I’d love to see my book in print, my words wrapped in a glossy cover, facing outward on a shelf in a bookstore.  The truth is, that may or may not ever become a reality, but I’m much closer to achieving that now than I’ve ever been.  For now, that feels great.

I actually feel like a writer.

-Thom