56,255. That's 202 pages for those who don't know that word counts are like the currency of writing.

My quota was anywhere between 70,000 and 80,000 (250-350 pages). I fell short. Far short. But what I have is good enough for the first draft. I'm giving it to a couple friends for the first round of editing, during which I'll abstain completely so I don't feel the need to make any changes. Those changes will be saved for the second round, when I decide what stays and what needs changing.

Overall the story turned out well, not perfect, but some parts were close to spot on. I was able to capture a good plot, some emotion, and one of my most well-written characters before the end of it, as well as an ending I'm more than satisfied with.

It's been an adventure. I set out to write a novel in a month, and completed it in two weeks instead. The rest of the semester is going to be long and lonely, since this was how I passed my time. But I guess I can go back to trudging through homework and maybe finishing the Sixty Fools competition.

I'm not really coming here to find people who care. But I wouldn't mind getting into the habit of sharing some of my accomplishments with the community I love. It's been great so far, and I feel like you guys have been a part of my progress. Even you, a programming community, have influenced me as a writer.

Thanks for giving me an excuse to blog.