Break from the norm

So I guess lately I've been kinda bad at updating the goings on of my life, And I would like to explain why. I don't know how many of my friends really know, that I kinda have always been an avid writer, and not just papers and journaling. I mean, that it has been a dream of mine since I think around middle school to write a book. A year or two ago, I found out a website called NaNoWriMo, and I immediately fell in love with it.
   The basic concept behind it is to write a 50,000 word book in the month of November. That's right, in about 30 days, you will start a novel from scratch... and then finish it in the same month. Now I'm sure all my friends are thinking that I'm completely crazy right now. Who in their right mind would decide to start a 50,000 word novel the month that they are writing their senior thesis, have major photography stuff to turn in and about 400 papers to write. Well, I guess I'm not quite in my right mind. But I decided that I didn't want to do the logical thing and wait an entire year to start.
    NaNo is fantastic because it forces you to not be concerned with quality. One of the biggest problems that a writer has is losing patience for the story, or going back and editing before they are even close to finishing. The premise of NaNo, is that you aren't allowed to edit. The concern is not about quality, for once in your whole writing career. It is about quantity. It is about giving yourself a deadline and accomplishing it.
     You can write about anything, everything, NaNo's website states that "If you think you are writing a novel, we do too." There aren't any specifications on what you write about, as long as you are writing, as long as you start from scratch and as long as you don't go back and edit. But they can't really regulate that. Especially since you can write on anything. Type writer, laptop, pen and paper...stone tablets? Whatever media floats your boat, or if you get enough stone tablets I suppose, sinks it.
     And so I'm writing a novel. And.... I have to brag for a minute and say that I am 25k words in. Yes, I just tonight reached the half-way mark and it feels amazing. It explains why I've kinda been a shut in lately, but it also is such a rewarding experience.
     There are events in the area for writers that are participating , there are forums and chat rooms for people that are struggling. There are weekly pep talks, sent to your inbox, there are comics and ridiculous statements, and in this event, community really is a big deal. Because honestly, if you decide to be crazy and write a book in a month, who else would better understand then someone in the same boat. Who else recognizes that you are struggling to meet a certain amount of words a day, that your novel is constantly on your mind in the shower, in the car, in class....
    My brain will essentially be fried come December. But I wholly feel, now, if I don't then, that this experience was very much worth it.
<3 Sarah

P.S. If you are curious about my progress, I've added a little status bar to the right side of my page, come see how i'm doing!