News on 19th July 2023

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Aaand...

...it's finished.  

I finished my first ever NaNo Camp in exactly 7 days and I'm now celebrating with my last Glitterberry J2O.  I've re-found my writing enjoyment and I didn't put my life on hold at all.

I've already got my NaNo23 and JanNo24 novels planned out, but I won't be putting my life on hold to complete them any more... I still want to keep winning, but I won't be writing 8-9k words a day from 3am to 10pm any more.  I'll get up when I wake up, write a chapter, get washed and dressed and eat my first meal of the day before I write again until I have my lunch, then write until bedtime, just like I did with my Camp MS - I'll be writing for the enjoyment rather than beating my personal best like I wanted to do for the last who knows how many.  From now on, I'm writing because I enjoy it, not because it's a competition.

I'm also not going to have a J2O for every 5 chapters I write in a day 'cos that's waaay too expensive, I'll be doing like I did with Camp and have a treat-sized bar of chocolate at the end of every chapter and a J2O when I've finished the entire thing.  I'll need a multipack of 4 to last both competitions rather than a box of 20 for each of them.

I'll still be a winner, it just won't be as fast or my sole focus every day any more.

It's the final...

...750 words of the entire manuscript coming up, so I've written 4 chapters today and it's looking like I'll be able to have my celebratory J2O before 5pm and I can't wait!

I've written 4 chapters but have only had 1 reward so far, so I'm thinking that calls for a brief pause while I devour my three owed bars... I can do this!

2 down, 3 to go

Just finished my second chapter of the morning but, like with yesterday (or whenever it was), I'm not gonna risk having my reward until after I've had my lunch 'cos knowing my luck, my carer would turn up just as I put the chocolate into my mouth lol

It's looking more and more likely that I'll be able to cross the finishing line with this manuscript before I head to bed tonight and I'm already drooling at the thought that I'll be allowed the last J2O when I type the final full-stop.  I've got 2 litres of chocolate soya milkshake in the fridge that I'm gonna devour when I finish too, as long as it's not too late.

I'm rounding the final bend of the race and the finishing line is in sight now!

1 down, 4 to go

I've just finished chapter 30 which was my first chapter of the day in about 45 minutes and I'm tying up all the loose ends now.  The children have just learnt the definition of 'compassion' and the rest of the MS will be planning and attending Paul's surprise leaving party.

First reward of the day now methinks, then I'll crack on with the second chapter of the day and hope that I can finish it and have my reward before my lunchtime carer arrives.

Aaaand...

...relax.

I've just finished writing my fifth chapter of the day, so that's the writing finished until tomorrow morning now.  Just got 3,500 words left to write and that's the novel finished in plenty of time for completing my first ever Camp.  I'm trying to remain hopeful that I'll write the final word tomorrow in exactly a week, including 2 non-writing days and a very interrupted day on Tuesday 'cos of the groceries as well as the two carer visits, but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for what I've achieved and I'm gonna go and get myself a glass of water and my final reward of the day then check my emails for the first time today.

4 down, 1 to go

I've just finished writing my fourth chapter of the day and I'm feeling more hopeful that maybe I really will get the fifth chapter written before bedtime.

I'm desperate for a wee so I'm gonna use the bathroom before I we... I made it with literally 2 seconds to spare lol

Gonna indulge in 2 rewards 'cos I didn't have one for the previous chapter, but I've got nearly 2 hours before bedtime, so hopefully I'll smash it and still be able to check my email before I take my last pills of the day.

Only got 4,250 words left to write to win my first ever Camp and having written the whole thing with no plan at all... it's been a totally muse-written MS for the first time in a loooong time.