70% - good but not good enough #NaNoWriMo

The challenge from National Novel Writing Month was to write a 50,000 word novel within the month of November.

I knew it would be hard because let's face it, I don't exactly sit around on my arse all day long. I am a Liverpool City councillor, a self-employed business woman at Local Marketing Liverpool, a school governor at St Hilda's, a school about to take part in the Mayor's Plan B for Building Schools for the Future since the coalition government scrapped the original scheme, and the vice-chair of Venture Housing Association. I facilitated a week long residential on community leadership for local government leaders across the country from all parties last week and I have also accepted an offer on my house this month, found one to buy, made an offer, applied for a mortgage, updated my will and sent the surveyor round.

What can I say? I like to keep busy and I thrive on deadlines.

Like most everyone else, I thought I might have a novel in me, we all believe that, and I thought that the best way it was ever going to happen would be if I joined a challenge like NaNoWriMo.

I wasn't sure I would make the 50,000 words but I did recognise that I work best when I work to deadlines, so I thought it was worth a go.

And I can tell you now, with around 2 hours to go before close of play that I have got to 35350 words. 70% of my target.

However, I am not downhearted at having failed to write 50000 words during November, just as the men who have been growing moustaches for Movember will not be downhearted if they could not produce a full Terry Thomas in the time allowed.

I am delighted to have written so much in such time constrained circumstances, and I have set a new target for myself to have completed 85000 words which is the new average for a UK novel by the end of January. I will then need to spend February having it copy edited and tidied up ready to present it to agents or to decide to self-publish.

I am grateful to all my friends, particularly those on Facebook and Twitter who have supported me thus far and helped to find appropriate names for some of my characters and a few plot suggestions, particularly around chapter 7.

I hope that they will approve of the final novel when it becomes available.

In the meantime, I continue to work hard at all of my community and business responsibilities and to use my spare time to either write novels or read them.

The advice from NaNoWriMo was to tell everyone about your attempt so that you would feel obliged to work at it, that was very sage and I thank them and you for keeping me focussed.

Please get ready to place orders for The Chain (or whatever title I finally decide upon) for Christmas gifts next year!