NaNo started out uniquely this year. Each previous time, I have jumped in feet first and set my target for 5k or 10k for the first couple of days to build up a cushion for when I start to slow down as I always seem to.

This year, I was at World Fantasy in San Jose at midnight on the 1st, and driving back from the Bay Area on the day of the 1st, beyond usual post-con exhaustion. Not only that, but I brought my sister back with me to get some intensive programming time. Then it was my son’s first play of the year, and both sets of grandparents came to see the incredible (unbiased, really, I swear) performance. None of this translated into more than a tiny bit of NaNo productivity.

So, I have finally reached the point where I can focus on my NaNo, and am coming in about 8 days behind. This is clearly not optimum, but I’m not giving up either on the story or on getting my 50k. To accomplish this, though, I need to be focused and driven. I need to use my writing time appropriately, and get those words out on the page.

The universe seems to have other plans :).

I was reclining with my Acer mini, all set to pound out a thousand or more words, when…

(Taken with the webcam on my mini)

I was typing before the invasion. And typing after, but a little harder when my fingers slipped off the keys and I couldn't see my fingers.

The smug culprit.

There's a laptop under those squashed fingers.

I did manage a little over 900 words though.