Last month, I was scraping every corner of my mind and imagination to come up with an idea for NaNoWriMo. I jotted notes, went back to old writing and asked my husband for help. But I had the hardest time, and it was nearly November first before I decided I wanted to write about friendship.

My stories always involve friendship, but this time I wanted to specifically write about two women and their evolving friendship. I liked this idea and became comfortable with it, even if I didn’t have a clear plot. But that’s always how I write. I never outline, choosing instead to jot notes and have a general idea. I always wing it after that and it always flows and works out.

So when November first came and I started writing, I felt confident and comfortable. I had a title (Yellow Roses Never Tell) a poem I wrote to help inspire me, and two characters that I used in previous stories. Yes, that’s how it turned out. What I originally felt good about changed into revisiting two characters from my previous work because I’m just not done with them.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever started with one idea and sketches of certain characters only to have characters from your past come back and yell at you that their story isn’t done yet?

I liked both of these characters and I was more than happy to bring them together again and see where their story would take them. I wrote about their journey as individuals and as best friends. I created new characters and I never knew when I sat down to write where this story and my characters would go. That’s the exciting part of writing and the rush I get from that mystery is one of the reasons I love writing fiction.

I wrote every day and on the 22nd, I finished just over 52,000 words and I won NaNoWriMo. But how do I feel about this first draft overall? I feel like probably most writers–it has potential but is mostly crap and ready for a good rewrite. But it’s there and for that, I’m so happy.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Have you finished yet? Do you plan to? How was it for you? I’d love to know your thoughts about this fast and mysterious form of writing.