Half Way Through NaNoWriMo, And I'm Way Behind

Well, I didn't really plan this out before deciding to join NaNoWriMo the day before it started. I'm a combination of a Plotter and a Pantser, but more of a Plotter. I've written books without plotting before, and I usually end up with hundreds of pages of a story going nowhere. That's where I feel I'm at right now, half way through the month of November. Since I didn't start with an outline, I feel like I'm writing in circles. I have a plot idea. I think it's pretty solid, but I feel I need to outline my thoughts first to at least see a direction to go in. I already began doing some research on the topic too. But unfortunately, I've fallen way behind in my word count.

Last weekend I went to San Francisco with some girlfriends. I had intended on writing while I was there, but you know how girls weekends go. This weekend I have another friend coming into town for a five-day visit. Will I get to write everyday while she's here? Not sure.

Am I making excuses? Sure sure I am. But since I started writing without direction to begin with, I don't fault myself for setting my writing aside for a week.

So have I failed at NaNo? Well, the month isn't over yet. I'll keep writing. Everyday if possible. I will most likely not make it to 50,000 words by the end of the month. But at least I have some characters that are starting to come alive, and a plot idea that I know will lead to a solid outline to work with.

I don't consider this a failure. The only failure is if I quit writing all together.

And that will never happen.