My optimistic and idealistic goal today was to double my word count. I hardly expect to do it, but I’d like to try.

I don’t know who Emily Horner is, but we seem to be keeping pace with one another word count-wise in Montreal. Like Ceri, I have a sneaky suspicion that my work is severely lacking in the subtlety department, and my insecurity is wailing that Emily is probably writing a tidy, flowing, subtlety-laden manuscript, so that even though our word quantity is approximately equal, hers is likely of higher quality. Fortunately, my insecurity is wrestled down and gagged 99% of the time by a toughened, thesis-experienced editor, who says that if you don’t write it, you can’t make it better. You need an actual draft before you can improve it; you need thoughts down on paper before you can shape them. No one writes perfect prose as a first draft.

So, hats off to you, Emily, and to all the other NaNoWriMos in Montreal. Write on!