I collapsed when I finally got to bed around 11:30 last night and I slept straight through until my alarm went off at 5 am. For the first time since starting NaNoWriMo, I actually woke up to my alarm, rather than before it, and for the first time, I felt bleary-eyed and groggy as I made my way downstairs and grabbed some juice. By the time I got to the computer it was already 5:10 and I felt like I was going to get a slower start today. I could hear it raining out, and I started at the screen for several minutes, reading the Chapter 4 part of my outline and trying to figure the best way to start. I finally resorted to a trick I’ve used on occasion in the past. The scene was to open with a mission project director sitting in her office, trying to figure out how they were going to solve the latest technical challenge plaguing their project. So I invoked a bit of real life:
Shielding the spacecraft: that was going to be the big challenge. Shyamala Gibb sat in her spacious office, listening to the rain trickle down outside the dark windows, and trying to decide how she was going to deal with the latest setback. She had the slightest of headaches, and the juice she was drinking unsettled her stomach slightly.
…
She glanced at the window, trying to recall the last time she was out in daylight. She arrived on campus before anyone else, and long before the sun came up. She worked steadily through the morning, reading reports, and attending seemingly endless meetings. She used to take her lunch in her office, quickly munching down whatever daily special was offered by the cafeteria, and then retiring to the small couch she had to steal thirty minutes of sleep. But things had gotten so busy on the project that even that had fallen by the wayside. As the sun swept overhead her day continued its hectic and often unpredictable pace, and before she knew it, she was once again looking out dark windows, onto a deserted campus. Such was the life Mission Director.
Those who know me will recognize elements of my day in this. But it worked. Once I’d written these first couple of paragraphs, the rest flowed pretty smoothly. While I started out more slowly this morning, I eventually hit my stride. I passed the 1,667 word mark at 6:20 am, and the 2,000 word mark fifteen minutes later. I ended the morning (and the chapter) having written 2,255 words. My four day total is now 9,549 words. I’m nearly 2,900 words above NaNoWriMo pace and 1,500 words above my personal pace. At this point I am very pleased with my progress and I only hope that I can continue to maintain it.
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