NaNoWriMo Winner, Just

I did it. I finished NaNoWriMo with a couple of hours to spare.

I'd like to say I jumped with joy. Instead I patted myself on the back metaphorically for finishing at all. You see compared to 2010, this year's NaNoWriMo was traumatic. All was going well until the 21st, when I received devastating news about someone I love dearly. Since then, I've been living in the hazy world of shock, sadness, hope, anger, and frustration. I've tried to do what usually comes naturally to me, getting on with life until more answers come. Not bothering to many people with my worries. It hasn't been easy. But somehow I managed to write my 50k, despite only writing for 19 of the 30 days of November.

I have to thank all my Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook friends for their encouragement. In particular the Devon NaNoWriMos who kept me writing; for saying it was okay to lose myself in my writing and to forget my worries for a while.

I need to thank my best friend Rachel Morris for keeping it real and keeping me laughing. But the biggest thanks of all goes to my other half for his daily lectures on how it didn't matter if what I was writing was rubbish because it's just the first draft. For reminding me it's what you make of it in the second and subsequent drafts that matters. You rock, Mr. M.

To those of you who took part in NaNoWriMo this year, whether or not you made the 50k, I salute you. It's the taking part that counts.