This Writing Moment

NaNoWriMo Screen Shot, Nov. 15, 2019.

It is possible that I’ve never been this far behind. I just clocked 16,077 words. I’m supposed to have over 25,000 words.  I am 9,000 words behind.  I can get stuck on the behind part. 

But, I’ve written over 16,000 words.  Words that did not exist on Oct. 31.  Beautiful words, awful words, wrong words, right words, misspelled words, typos, beautiful similes, forgotten vocabulary that has shown up in my character's mouth.  Words.  

I’m not even counting the poems I’ve written, the postcards I’ve written, the posts I’ve written.  

Here, in this writing moment, I’m creating a new world, a character I love with a wicked sense of humor that I think is actually showing up on the page (I don’t often write funny though that’s been a goal of mine).  I’m just showing up to write every day and letting the words come. 

It will be a mess.  

But there is so much joy in this writing moment. In getting these words on the page, in the morning, in the evening, in between chores, in between renovations, in between grief and rage.  

That is all there is--this moment, today, to write.  I do not have to worry about tomorrow or November 30. I’m just focusing on showing up today and learning more about my characters by throwing obstacles in front of them.  

And today, I’ve had a very good writing day.