November, the month to let loose and write 50,000 words, has finally evaporated. National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo) 2010 is over. Only 328 days to go until nanowrimo 2011! You’d better start preparing.

            As word counts rose, grades dropped. As you became obsessed with what your slick protagonist would do next, you became less and less interested in Shakespeare’s use of the word “incorporate,” or standard deviation in statistical data-sets, or the effect of coral-bleaching on the algae populations of the pacific ocean… or whatever you were doing in class last month… who remembers anyway.

            For those of you who won (and those of you who at least attempted this harrowing feat of self sacrifice) here are some numbers. Globally, as of this morning, approximately 32,000 people accomplished their nanowrimo goal (writing 50,000 or more words.) Our word count for 2010? 2.8 billion. That’s 5,600,000 pages (500 words on a page.) 

            With a week of school left, final papers due, and final exams looming on the academic horizon, at least you’ll finally be able to focus on your classes and maybe getting some of that homework you were assigned in November done – I’m sure your teachers will understand.

            What about what you’ve written? Will it sit on your desktop accumulating (figurative) dust? Will you delete it, praying no one finds out about your secret passion for writing cheesy romance novels? Or will you edit it, rewrite it, return to it next year? Whatever you do, be sure to pat yourself on the back, maybe contact some family members you haven’t spoke to in weeks. But first and foremost, put down that coffee cup and get some sleep.