Excuse me, but have you seen my brain? or NaNo day 18

I'm sure you're tired of me spamming your Google Readers with pointless posts about my progress or lack thereof. Just think ... November is almost over!

I know a lot of people who complain that NaNoWriMo takes place during the month of November. Thanksgiving, the beginning of the holiday season, school, work problems... But I think the thing is that NO month would ever be good for some people. There are definitely times that I wonder if I have lost my mind in trying to fit this into my already crammed full schedule. But then I sit down and get lost in my story and realize that the strange boy who appeared in the second chapter is one of my favorite characters I've ever written. And that Devvon has way more layers than I first realized. And that Evva, well, she isn't the kick butt heroine I was anticipating, but I really like her anyway. And that the woman who annoyed me by her appearance in chapter 5 was the key to helping me figure out my entire plot. And that Granntt is pretty much THE biggest jerk I've ever written... what a sleazeball. How fantastic!

And I realize that all these late nights, early mornings, frantic writing sessions, panicking over homework and grading while I'm plotting in the back of my mind... it's all so totally worth it.

I have every intention to reach that 50,000 word mark before November is over. But if I don't? Well, there's a solid beginning to a story that probably wouldn't have gotten written if it weren't for NaNo. I have characters I want to chortle over. I have a crazy plot I might never have figured out. So it's totally worth it. Is my draft even a proper draft? Sometimes I wonder... but it's something. And it's something I wouldn't have without this insanely fun challenge.

Do you have to do it? Absolutely not. But don't knock it till you've tried it. What could it hurt? I honestly can't think of any reason not to at least give it a whirl.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

I'm totally at 26,075 words and I know I'm about 4,000 words behind, but I wrote some yesterday! Yeah! That makes my mood exhausted, but happy.