Focused and flying

19,200.
That's how many words I have written since I vowed to write 834 words a day through the month of November in celebration of National Novel Writing Month mom-style. I am 5,866 words ahead of schedule so far.
It's been exhilarating.
But it's also been draining.
I've barely slept, the house is a mess and I have failed in my exercise goals.
I don't care.
It can all wait.
The deadline pressure helped me realize that I wrote the first two acts of my work-in-progress (mystery/suspense) the same way I read any novel of suspense. I wrote it in a huge rush to find out what happens.
I hurried to get to the end, or rather to the climax of the action.
As part of this project, I have refused to go beyond the climax. All additional writing must come in the chapters before. And as I wrote, the villains changed. The literary part of the plot grew, but not too much. The novel became slightly more complex in, I hope, a good way.
I am still struggling to incorporate another 15,000 words into the novel before the climax and I think I can do that. I think I can do that well. I believe that I can because ever since I made this vow, the novel is on my mind night and day.
My poor kids have heard enough of it.
The two oldest simply rolled their eyes the other day when I asked what Dorothy should do with her gun.
My husband has been traveling a lot this month and that's probably a good thing. I've interrupted enough conversations with questions for him about plot and character. I need him as a beta reader and if we spent too much time together this month, I would most certainly turn him off.
I probably should empty the garbage though.
And get some groceries.
And feed the kids.
In a minute.
When I'm done.

My boy, the poet

I am so proud of my son that I had to share. Riley 10 years old. He had to write a poem for his fifth grade class. Here it is:

Nature

You are the wind that blows
and the snow that froze
the night.

You are the lakes
and an earthquake that shakes
with might.

You are the mountains touching the sky
and the clouds so high
so bright.

The animals you embrace
the people of every race
held tight.

You may delight.
You give me comfort through the day.
I hear you silently calling for me to stay.
Show me the way.