Word Count: 15,700 words

If we leave out today’s word count, I’m pretty much on track for NaNoWriMo. I missed a day, but I managed to do a bit more than 1,667 every day so I managed to catch up.

Unlike before, I can’t really knock out 1,667 words in one sitting. I’ve found it most helpful to write in two (ideally three) sessions. While I don’t have the stamina to write more than a thousand words at a go, I can still manage 600 or so.

Why am I doing this?

So the topic today would be the reason why I’m doing NaNoWriMo. I admit that I panicked when I couldn’t write for a day – my touchpad started acting up and it was impossible to use my computer (this post is the first thing that I’m writing on my new laptop because things were serious enough that I have to get a new laptop).

And then I got food poisoning.

What really helped was remembering what Warren comments: are you doing too much?

(Aside: I am always very impressed when online friends make very timely comments. I shouldn’t be surprised because I do put parts of myself up, but I still am)

Which led me to think about why I’m always taking up new things and, in particular, why I’m doing NaNoWriMo.

I’m doing this because I need to kickstart the writing habit that I lost.

I’m doing this because I need to rediscover the adventure of a new story.

I’m doing this to challenge myself, not to guilt-trip myself.

Reminding myself of the reasons why I’m writing helped me to feel better about a missed day here and there. Even if I don’t make the target of 50k words (though I really hope I do), the most important thing is that I get back to writing.

Which, if you’ll excuse me, I need to do now. It’ll be my first, and possibly last, session of the day.