That’s more like it.

Total word count, ESTC: 16,434
Total words today: 2,013

16,434 / 50,000 (32.9%)

Today was all about animals, expanding the notes I’d jotted down a few weeks ago. Not thrilling, not writing about which to be very excited, but solid. And progress.

I’m about a thousand words away from where I have to be at the end of next Friday. That kind of margin keeps me feeling comfortable. If I lose my lead, then I’ll eventually be in a position where I’ll have to produce my daily quota or more every time I sit down to write, and as we’ve seen over the past week, for various reasons that doesn’t always happen. Being ahead gives me room to move, as well as covering the days I won’t able to work, like the two long weekends in September when I’ll be travelling, as well as Thanksgiving. And since I now have Liam’s cold (it was going to happen sooner or later), I may need one of my work days next week to just sleep, or at least curl up in bed with boxes of Kleenex, cats, a pot of tea, a highlighter, my notebook, and a pile of research books.

Now I’m going to make apple muffins for the CMS open house tonight, then go get Liam. Or at least mix the batter, seeing as it’s 4:30. I can bake them once we get home.