2010: The year I was first told of you, at just about October’s start. The year I stepped out with no expectations, just a challenge I was itching to meet. 50,000 words, 30 days. A longer book than I normally wrote, but not too terribly intimidating, since I went in with a plan.
An idea inspired by my home Ren Faire’s Robin Hood. The delightful discovery that my Merry Minstrel was descended of none other than Gant-o’-the-Lute. My main character and I getting to know each other at the same, adventuresome pace. A side character in scarlet, willing and eager from Day 1 to step up to the plate and deliver whatever I needed. A girl and her Thief Lord lurking foxlike in the forums.
My first NaNoWriMo, you were the one of new beginnings.
2011: The year I set you aside for psalm-making. A poem or song a day, working to heat up my sub-satisfactory spiritual life with my fiery passion for words. A more solitary endeavor, followed by a December of drafting a novel just past the official month of writerly hoopla.
It was half like having two NaNos, and half like having none at all. And in the end, I’d managed a bit of soul food and the first iteration of my debut published novel, INSPIRED.
My second NaNoWriMo, you were the one of faith in treasure yet unseen.
2012: The year I upped the ante, trying for not one novel, but two, in addition to my trip to California – to Tirzah, and to San Francisco’s Night of Writing Dangerously. Memories of starting precisely at midnight – a frustrating false start, with a voice I was too tired to get quite right. Of starting over, moving on stronger, pushing myself to cover ground as fast as perfectionism allowed. Of struggling to focus even as I got my hair did [sic] in braids so I wouldn’t have to fuss over it while I was out of town.
Novel One cooperated, wrapping up in a demented 12 days. Novel Two… oh, Novel Two, who knows when I’ll ever finish you? In my defense, you lied to me, but that’s another story, perhaps for another day. Between being led on a wild goose chase by a petulant protagonist, the glorious distraction of my best friend at my side, the lure of my heart’s city, and the overawing shindig that is THE NaNo write-in, I may have produced the words, but they were nothing like a novel.
My third NaNoWriMo, you were the one that defied all expectations.
2013: The year I couldn’t settle on a project. It was not for any lack of ideas. New concepts came and went, replaced by yet more, no sooner decided upon than abandoned for— for what? Something better? It didn’t have to be better. It just had to be right. And nothing at all was speaking to me. Nothing was singing to my discontented soul.
Three hours to the midnight kickoff, and I still wasn’t sure, but there wasn’t time, so I chose almost at random from the string of ideas I’d played with for a month. So close to the deadline, I was a mess of nerves, fearful of repeating the failure that was NaNo ’12, Part 2. Rarely has the blank page seemed so full of potential doom. But the words came, and with them, the story. And within that story, I released the kraken.
My fourth NaNoWriMo, you were the one as changeable as the sea.
2014: The year I mean to see my way to the conclusion of the Wilderhark Tales. The first new Wilderhark Tale I’ve written in years, the others close to completed when I decided to take the plunge and publish. For the first time, I’m working under the burden of expectation, and in the countdown leading up to the event’s start, the pressure was driving me nuts, to the point where I said to myself, “Y’know what? Screw this. The only way to be less nonsensically afraid of this thing is to just start writing it. And NaNo is not the boss of you. Now’s neither the time nor place to be the punctilious rule-follower you’ve ever been. Put on your writer pants and seize the day!”
So on Wednesday, October 29th, I branded myself a NaNo Rebel by starting work on the book’s opening chapter.
My fifth NaNoWriMo, you are the one I reclaimed as my own.
NaNo was made for the author, not the author for NaNo. I don’t know what surprises are in store for me this writing month, but as far as victory is concerned, I’m already feeling like I’ve won more than the certificate waiting at the end of it all.
Ever On Word 
Sadly, what with school and work I’ve never had the chance to participate in NaNoWriMo. On the other hand, I am rapidly moving to the final few chapters of my WIP, and considering it’s both my longest project yet and has taken me the least amount of time, I feel smug as that cat that caught the canary. 🙂
Though you may yet to be a Wrimo, you’ve got the most important thing going for you: Writing! It’s gotta be exciting for ya, nearing the end of your project. ^^
Yeah, it’s honestly a little surreal. Exciting, but weird.
*applauds* I am so proud to be your friend! Loved this glimpse into your heart, and I can’t wait to hear about this year’s journey every step of the way! ❤
Thanks, you cherished Chelsea you. :3
I love how I can see little Deshipley growing up as a writer through all these NaNo’s!! ❤ Now, the burden of expectation…that sounds like a fearful new challenge. I know you'll come out of it victorious, though.
Also, this: "The only way to be less nonsensically afraid of this thing is to just start writing it." is very, very true. It's one of the biggest problems Tyler-Rose and I have in months like these when we don't have enough time to write, because the only way to really kill the fear that you won't finish a project is to just go DO IT.
I wish you a month of courageous writing, my friend! It sounds like you are off to a good start.
Thanks, Susan! As of maybe an hour ago, that so-scary project has been capped with “THE END”. It required much bravery all throughout (some stories are emotionally tough to tell), but the trial is behind me. …Now onto the remaining words needed to reach the goal of 50 thousand!