So, I’m plugging away at my day job when a friend of mine sends me a private message.

‘How many words?’ it reads.

I have no idea what he’s talking about.

So I write back the most creative response that I can think of: ‘What?’

And he says ‘NaNo!’

It’s no secret – the second manuscript I ever completed was a NaNoWriMo project. It was an amazing experience. I went for it again the next year and got really close to target but nowhere close to the end of the story. The year after that it proved to be too much. It’s difficult to juggle a life filled with work, a girlfriend, family, and a thousand plus words a day.

So, this year, I decided I wasn’t even gonna stand on pretense.

I’m not doin’ it.

I already have a challenge of my own and it’s a hundred and ten thousand words approximately. It’s been going on for a year and… NaNo taught me stuff. But I think I grew out of it. I had to find a new way to challenge myself that could be managed. And I’m eight stories away from hitting the goal.

When I get to the end, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on what the new challenges taught me. It’s a lot.

And I’m loving it.