NaNoWriMo Update 4: Just shy of half

So I've located that lull that prevents people from finishing novels.  The last few days, writing even 1500 words a day has been dragging a dead mammoth across a rapidly hardening tar pit in the pouring rain.  As you can see, my creativity isn't the problem.  For encouragement, I graphed my progress (NaNoWriMo.org has a progress graph too, but I like mine better.)

So, word-wise, I'm actually keeping up. (Ironically, the last few days I've stayed away from hyphenating any words because it only counts as one word... yep, it's been that bad!)

Plot-wise, things are getting a little hairy.  I'm far enough in that I feel like things should be starting to come together a bit more and they aren't.  Part of me isn't really worried about that, I was much more worried about finishing too early and having nothing left to write, but part of me recognizes that sometimes what I write is utter crap that I'd cut in a heart beat during a final edit.  I have to remind myself that this is an exercise, I'm learning.  Kind of like those first zillion pots I made in ceramics.  So I'm pushing on.

I actually read one of the email encouragements NaNoWriMo sent me and it happened to be about exactly this problem.  Apparently I'm not alone.  They suggested sending your characters to the circus.  I had to laugh, I sent one of mine on a random blind date (she got stood up.)

I'm half way done and I'm feeling about how I felt on mile 13 of the Avon walk, namely "I'm never going to make it to wellness camp!!"  Still, one word in front of the other, I trudge along.

I also have a major distraction that arrived in my hands 1:00 am Friday morning:

So while I had great visions of getting ahead so I'd be set for Thanksgiving, I think it's going to be more like "Okay, I wrote my 1667 words, can I go fight dragons now??"