So I decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. Nope, no one put a gun to my head and I am not certifiably insane (yet). I have seen this NaNo thingy around for years… years! I was always too chicken poop to give it a shot. Or maybe I didn’t have a story idea.
Anyway…. I have a story idea and it is a darn tooting good one.
To commemorate my Nano Insanity.. I quit smoking! Ok, I did not quit smoking to cement NaNoWriMo. I actually picked my quit date as November 1st two weeks before Halloween after much cajoling from my boyfriend. On Halloween he said to me, “Tomorrow is the big da-ay!”
I looked at him completely confused. “All Saints day?” I said, pitching my voice up in question mode.
“No, babe. Remember? You are quitting smoking tomorrow!”
“I am? Oh! Right! Yeah, I am,” I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible. I was right there along with a squirrel right before he gets smashed by a car. At least the squirrels misery ends!
So Sunday, Halloween, October 31, 2011 was my last day of smoking.
Sunday, Halloween, blah blah blah was also my prep day to start NaNoWriMo on Monday, November 1st. Monday November 1st would be my first official smoke-free day. It would also be a day I had to write at least 1,667 words.
I have to say, it hasn’t been so bad. I mean, yes, I have purchased a small fortune in gum. I have consumed about 60 chocolate chip cookies in the last four and a half days along with countless Twix Bars and Snickers. I am drinking the equivalent of a small creek of fresh spring water each day.
Some things I have noticed that are super smashingly smurfariffic!
a) I don’t stink!
b) I think a little clearer because I am not obsessed with nicotine!
c) I am a little grouchier (this is making my characters not so sissy-like in my WIP).
d) I am drinking way less coffee.
e) I already have extra cash! Weee! 😀
So if I seem a bit snippy at the write-in this weekend at Panera in Bensalem or we’re on Facebook and suddenly you get the feeling a seven horned monster with eighteen green, scaly fingers is typing, don’t be alarmed. It’s just me.
Happy NaNoing (and ROW80ing!) 😉
Darlene A. McGarrity 
Congrats, and good luck staying quit! I keep ‘meaning’ to quit but just can’t bring myself to it yet… lol
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Thanks! Oh, I totally hear you. It is so difficult to quit smoking!
You’ll know when you are ready 😉
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That is smurfarrific, smurftacular, and smurfing epic all at once. Keep it up. And a little grouchiness is allowed. 🙂
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Thanks Yolanda! I love your use of “smurf” 😀 It is very smurfy 🙂
Hope your week went very well.
Talk to you soon.
Darlene
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Wow! First good luck with NaNo – I too, have been too chicken poop to try it. But the smoking thing, every happy thought I can muster is headed your way on that one. That is HARD. I know this because I have failed 1,2,3,4, FIVE times. My next quit date is Jan 5 when I’ll be trapped in airplanes on a cross country flight. Figure I can’t cave up there. Of course, I’m also scared of flying, so that should be interesting. Maybe NaNo is actually going to HELP you with this the way being in a flying tin can will help me (this is my theory, don’t wreck that for me, please)…you are absolutely, otherwise OCCUPIED! Head down, hands busy. Good luck!!!
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Thanks so much for the encouragement.. I absolutely know how difficult it is to quit and stay quit. I have quit 3 – 5 times in the last 5 years. The longest quit lasting 18 months.
It is always good to pick your battle grounds wisely. I think a long flight is a great smoke-free start!
I wish you the best in January on your flight and with the quitting! 😉
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KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK! And never lose sight of the fact you rock.
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Aww, thanks AG! 😉 I hope you had a smashing week! My week is rolling like a stone… woot!
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Wow — what a double challenge!
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so far so good! Thanks. 🙂
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Wow! Quitting smoking and doing NaNo at the same time. You rock!
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Thanks! 🙂
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I salute you in this crazy-amazing mission of nicotine deprivation and writerly overload. I bombed NaNo and I quit smoking…every day. Good luck!!
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Thanks Amberr! 😉 I much appreciate the salute!!!
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Wow that is awesome! I survived NaNo also, but quitting smoking at the same time? Congrats!
I would never have thought about quitting smoking while doing nano. The last time I quit was Memorial day 1999, five days before my mom passed away and I stayed smoke free for 6 months.
Haven’t tried again since.
One day, one day.
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Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂 I didn’t think I’d be able to quit smoking while NaNoing… but it seems to have worked out.
I’m sorry about your mommy 😦
When you’re ready to quit again, you’ll know it. 😉
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