Measuring

I first did NaNoWriMo the same year that I did my first (and so far only) marathon: I needed another ridiculous challenge to occupy my energies.

When I run or cycle long distances, I am constantly doing fractions and percentages in my head, quantifying how far I have gone, how far I have to go, and when (most importantly) I will be finished if I keep up my current pace.

NaNoWriMo is another percentage and fractions game: we will be a third of the way through November on Tuesday; every three days is another ten percent of the month; there will be 70% left of the month after Monday; if I keep writing at my current pace I will be done in ten days; or if I keep overwriting as I have been until the end of the month I would have about 82,000 words; and so on.

Since I try to avoid thinking when I am running, cycling, or writing first drafts, that is usually what occupies my mind.

I should also mention that there are more posts on my NaNoWriMo experiences on my blog: Why Should I Listen To You?