The end is approaching along with the winner’s circle that everyone speaks of in reference to the NaNoWriMo challenge. Of course that entails completing the 50,000 words that you signed up to finish in 30 days. But is that really the only thing that winning the NaNoWriMo challenge means?
Isn’t it winning to just sign up and participate in the NaNoWriMo challenge? Isn’t it winning to plan out a routine and follow through with carrying out that plan? Even if you don’t reach 50,000 words, or you get blocked just as you are nearing the finish line, you are still winning the challenge just by trying in the first place.
So many people just think about doing NaNoWriMo and wonder what it would be like to achieve those 50,000 words but they never actually follow through and just do it. You took that step. You signed up, you participated, you steadily logged your words in the word count updater, and you hung in there even when your story felt stalled and you probably wanted to give up. For that, you are every bit the winner regardless of whether you actually made it to 50,000 words.
Of course, if you made it to that ultimate word count goal (or are really close and will make it by the 30th) then congratulations. But don’t, for one second, think that you not getting there makes you any less of a winner. You are a winner just for trying in the first place!
Jimmetta Carpenter
Writer/Editor
The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)
Writing as “Jaycee Durant”
http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310
Write 2 Be 
Great post. NaNo is all about the trying. No one ever finished a novel by just thinking about it. 🙂