NaNoWriMo - Day #25: The joys of novel writing, dog parks and long runs through Shubie Park

Whohoo!  I broke 43,600 today - meaning I have less than 6,400 to go to reach my goal of writing 50,000 words at 50.  Better yet, I have a story that mostly makes sense. Of course, there'll be lots of rewriting to do if I want to turn my scribblings into anything resembling a real novel - but, since it's the first "first draft" of a novel I've ever written, I'm pleased as punch.

And I must say I've learned lots from the experience so far. First, it's not that difficult for me to write 1,600 or 1,700 words a day so long as I keep my inner editor locked away in the attic while I'm doing it.

Second, when I let the writing flow, lots of stuff happens that I don't anticipate. Where did that plot twist come from? What did that character just say? Where the heck is this story going anyway?  It's downright fascinating watching my subconscious spew the stuff out.

Finally, I actually enjoy trying to write a novel. I always thought/hoped I might - but, since I'd never attempted it, I wasn't sure.

All that said, I'm still looking forward to a break from all this writing when December 1st rolls around.

A quick word about my running this weekend. I treated myself to a long run to Shubie Park and back (15k in all), with a stop and stretch at the spot where my story opens - the far end of a trail called Vivien's Way. It felt good to run after so much sitting and writing.  A good portion of the park is crisscrossed by "off-leash trails" enjoyed by dogs and their human companions (yes, they let the people off leash too) and I don't think there's anything more joyful than a dog park on Sunday morning.  It's positively infectious.

The other delightful thing about the run today was that it reminded that, even when things are at their gloomiest, there's usually beauty and joy around if only you take time to notice.

This late in November the leaves are mostly off the trees and well on their way to becoming mulch so the forest was looking quite dreary today. Still, there was plenty of beauty to be found in the reflection of the sky on the surface of the lake.

Light streaming through the trees.

And bright green moss adding punches of colour to the forest floor.

That's it for tonight, folks. I've typed about as much as I can for one day and I think Husband might appreciate a little company for a change. Have a great week, everyone! And good luck to all you NaNoers out there!