Thoughts from the Campfire*

So I'm halfway through Camp Nano July in which I once again attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel in a month. And I've finally, as of about two hours ago, caught up. I'm officially past the half way mark and not lingering way, way behind on my word targets.
Sickness and sad stuff had me (and the house) in a mess for awhile, but now we're back on track. It doesn't hurt that all the holidays - my beloved's and kindy and playgroup are over. Thank goodness. Back to lovely, plan-able routine. As someone living in the centre of self-created chaos, routine imposed from the outside is greatly appreciated.

Notes on the Nano Journey so far:

*The removal of the internet greatly improves productivity.
*If I wake too early in the morning (say 2am) not only does not a lot get done (except valuable, research-oriented pinteresting, ahem) but the next day I turn into Dragon Lady. It's not pretty. 4.30am is a much better time to wake up to get a solid two hours of writing in before the kids awake.
*Coffee (thank-you, my most wonderful Beloved) is necessary for brain function at 4.30am.
*It is much warmer in the small hours of the night if we have lit a fire the night before. Yes, big fires (and marshmallows) really are crucial to Camp Nano.
*A really productive writing day (shamefully) involves the absence of children. Today has been my first proper day writing day ALL month, as kindie started back this week. A writing sprint at the Uni cafe saw the crucial seven thousand words under my belt to see me back on track. Yesterday, all was despair. I'd lost momentum. I'd never catch up. All was doom. And gloom. Today, all is happiness.
*I am maybe a little fixated on the graphs on the nano homepage. You put your current word count in the little box and it tells you how far you've come, how many words you've written today, and how much you presently need to write each day to finish in time. You get the picture. Cute little writing graphs. We loves them.

And... I think I can do it. I really think I'm going to get the bones of the beast down. There have been moments (mainly desperately researching mythological Irish genealogy that in No Way makes sense at some ungodly hour in the morning) that I have had strong doubts. But... now, flush with a good, solid roll of writing, all things are possible. Cue happy dance.
In a wonderful example of confluence, Laini Taylor had a great blog today about Writers with Kids. We do what we have to do, but I fear I cannot be like the writer Laini quotes who looks after his four kids during day... and then writes all night! Hats off. Seriously. Awe. Wonder. In fact, I don't think there are words for it.

Anyway. Halfway through. Things are on track.

If you're doing Nano, how are you going? If you're not how do you deal with deadlines? Deadlines with kids?


*The metaphorical campfire. The one with hot water and flushing toilets and soft-sinking-into-beds close at hand.