I’m a

* * * * * * *WINNER!!!* * * * * * *

Yes I crossed the NaNoWriMo 50,000 word finish line on November 27^th.

And what have I accomplished? My manuscript, working title Breaking the Rules, tells the story of a driven ICE agent who finds herself working with the Brit she forced to leave the United States five years earlier as they try to find a young girl smuggled into the U.S. by sex traffickers.

As I write this, I’ve reached the last turning point in the story. This will likely be 80-85000 words when it’s finished, and I hope to finish this first draft in January.

At our local RWA chapter meeting, our president, Julie Rief, gave out these hand-made pins for those of us who made the goal:

She is soooo creative. She also gave each winner a mini tiara which we wore during the meeting, and a mini-loving cup. Here I am with Julie, who is also a NaNoWriMo winner:

How was the process? Painful this year. On November 11^th, my husband’s sister passed away, and we had a six day journey back to the Midwest for the gathering of family and friends and the funeral. I wrote in the Orange County airport before our flight (378 words) and before the visitation (1105 words). On the way home we had a six hour layover in Denver, and I relished the chance to get in some words. Since my laptop battery would never last that long, we wandered through the jammed terminal looking for an electrical outlet near comfortable seating. Finally, my husband led me up the escalator to the balcony level of the terminal, and we found a secluded corner with two outlets and a whole sofa to ourselves (2563 words).

Was it worth it? Definitely. With every story, I learn more about craft and my own ability to persevere. And the only way to write those stories is to put words on the page.

Any NaNoWriMo folks out there? How did you do?