And what a Thanks I'd like to give.

I KNEW this day would come.

So there's some people I'd like to thank...

*kidding*

But seriously.  What's the occasion?  Can't I post a blog in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving, eh? :)  I don't do this often...actually this is the first time I'm doing this.  But I like to think this holiday offers something more than a day off from school.  

(Though I totally appreciate the day off from school.)

What am I thankful for this year?

Well, first I'm grateful for my health.  You know, the usual stuff.  There were some distant family losses and it really put it into perspective just how much I've come to appreciate life.

And part of that appreciation includes doing the things I like.  For instance, writing.  If you happen to be part of my immediate family--ha.--you'll know I've been saying that I'm going to write a book one day.

That official announcement came 4-5 years ago, and since 2009 I haven't finished a single  project.  Not even one.  But every day over that near-half decade I'd wake up with a renewed resolve to start the story that I'd finish.  The thing is, as you smart people have already put together I'm sure, a "full-length" novel isn't written in one day.  Had I been writing a short story I might have followed Poe's advice and skipped off to write a short story worthy of a single sitting.

But I didn't want to write a short story.  (And I still don't want to write a short story.)

Back then--right now, I want to conquer the dreaded novel.  However, I decided a new approach was necessary.  And because I'm totally lazy I'll just go ahead and put the rest of my journey in point form:

end of June 2013:

-decide to start small and work my way to the big mountain and I roll my sleeves up in preparation for my 30K run in the coming CampNaNo; my goal was to write a novella fanfic (something around that ~30K)

July 2013:

-half-ass particupation in CampNaNo, and I give up on the 30K goal by the 3rd day.  Yeah.  And all I have for my half-week effort is 903 words.  *facepalm at my crappy resolve*

July 19th, 2013:

-on this day I came home from a night class and I'm butt-tired, getting prepared for exams and last-minute writing of a critique report for said class; however, instead of focusing on my school work, I get a spark for a new direction to tackle the fanfic idea; I write 527 words,

the rest of July, 2013:

-CampNaNo ends and I'm 8000 words short of the 30K goal.  (I tried.  Really I did!  I wrote every day.)  Also I learn that this fanfic isn't going to be short, and I maybe....maybe should have outlined beforehand.

August-October 2013:

-I'd like to say I wrote every day, but over this near 2.5 months I tallied 13 days where I succumbed to the blasted sparkly new ideas.;  I hit 50K (for the first time ever!) on September 13th, and I write a blog post to preserve the milestone if you want to click on over for that.

October 14th, 2013 (today!):

-Hit....*drumroll*...100K.

So what am I grateful for you ask?  I'm grateful for the chance to hit 100K, and I owe it to my health, my family and a lot of online people, who don't know I virtually stalk them, within the reading/writing community.

What now?  Well, to be honest, I'm not any closer to finishing this fanfic, BUT I'm hoping to update with the news of that soon.  Like next month soon.  (Blogging once a month makes that feasible.)  And now I have all of you to hold me to a promise to hit "THE END".

*turns mic*

Now what are you all Thankful for?  (Well, at least those of you who are on this side of the International Boundary.)