Ladies and gentlemen and FANS of all ages. As of 6pm Nov 22, I have completed 37,098 words of the 50,000 word goal by Nov 30! 

What is really amazing, for ME anyway, is that I was only at 32,000 on Friday, due to being down with a stomach flu on Monday and Tues. 

Writing is a very lonely "sport". No one knows what we authors suffer through with imaginary characters arguing with other imaginary characters, sometimes at 2 in the morning.

I've never attempted any type of writing challenge. Except for the 2,000 word article I have to write tomorrow on Retaining Walls for the magazine I work at, deadlines aren't something that I've really had to deal with, but WOW are they ever a motivator. 

The writing may only take one month, but the re-writes are going to be a lot more intense.

So, for now I'm going to bask in the fact that my gold bar is FINALLY just about the blue goal bar on the National (which I believe in now International) Novel Writing Month web site.

If any of you hear a huge YELL coming from a town in Southern California, you'll know this writer has achieved the GOAL!

Check out the total on my dashboard