I've hit the 20k mark!

Despite having just gone through the most hectic weekend I can remember, I'm still on track to win NaNoWriMo! I've just hit the 20k mark, and I can't wait to keep writing my story (which, by the way, will so not be finished at 50k).

As for the writing itself, I'm definitely starting to understand what so many authors mean when they say things like, "I'm just the transcriptionist of the story that needs to be told," "You get to know and love your characters as you write," and "The characters tell me what happens next, not the other way around." Just today, my main character assaulted his best friend! And last night, I was quite literally in tears when he was having an emotional meltdown. (Even now, thinking about that scene makes me sad for him.)

So while I may not be a professional writer (yet!), I am certainly learning so much from the experience of getting into a story and developing it in a way that intrigues me. I value the time I have with these characters, and I hope that one day, many others will, too.