Time for a NaNoWriMo Check-in:

It’s day three of NaNoWriMo and I’m already behind.

Luckily, I’m not too far behind and I’ll have some time this weekend to make up that pace (I hope).  I’m surprised at how much I have actually been able to write so far.  This time last week, I thought I’d be much further behind honestly.

Between teaching, coaching, writing for the site, marketing the site, and being present with my wife (okay, maybe not that present since I have so much going on) my day is pretty full.  I’ll a lucky guy to have a wife that understands that I need to do this and she supports me.

As far as my writing is going, I’m getting back into the swing of writing a novel again.  I’ve written a lot of fluff in my novel so far, but I’m into the story I’m writing.  I know where I’m going (for now) thanks to the planning I did the last couple of weeks.

My writing isn’t good yet.  I have lots of refining to do, and I’m pretty sure I’ll eventually cut a lot from this first part that I’m currently writing.  But I’m enjoying writing it and that’s the good part.

Here’s a little excerpt from what I’ve done so far.  I hope you enjoy.

From The Murder Next Door by Jarrett Smith

Her hands were shaking.  

She took a deep breath, held it, and finally let it out.  Grasping the edges of the sink, she leaned forward.  She tried to steady herself.

How long has it been? A couple of days?

She rubbed her nose and looked at herself in the mirror.  Her red hair coiffed perfectly.  She looked better than she had ever looked when going out to the club, but she knew that something was amiss.  

 She got out her make-up bag which she had just knocked to the floor and brought it back to the sink.  As she checked to make sure nothing had broken or fallen out of place, her hands found their way to the baggie containing the fine white powder her body was craving.

Her fingers closed around the bag, reminding her of the claw machine game at the arcade.  As she started to lift it out of the recesses of her make-up bag she dropped it.

No.  I need to be there tonight.  I don’t need something bad to happen.  

Just like the claw game, she let the bag fall back to the make-up bag.  She watched it for a moment, finding the resolution within her to move on.  She knew that it would be calling to her all night though.  She hadn’t gone this long without it for quite some time.

And she hated herself for that.  

If you just took a little, you’d be fine.  It won’t hurt anyone and it will only settle your nerves.  

She clinched her fist, determined not to let herself win. Or lose.  

And she hated herself for that.  

If you just took a little, you’d be fine.  It won’t hurt anyone and it will only settle your nerves.  

How’s your writing going?  Are you finding it a struggle to get your words in too?

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