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Dear Writer,

We're closing in on the final lap of NaNoWriMo. Just one weekend left! From my perusal of the NaNoWriMo forums, it looks like we've now split into three groups.

Group One: The Superheroes. You put in your 1667 per day, and your word-count graph has grown tall and mighty like a redwood forest. You're currently sprinting through the 40,000s, and you'll win handily. You're the NaNoWriMo equivalent of an ultra-marathonner, and your discipline puts you in the top 3% of Wrimos everywhere. 

Group Two: The Come-Back Kids. You are part of the vast middle. You're still bushwhacking through the 20,000s or making the trek through the 30,000s. It's going to take some work, and you'll probably validate your novel at the very last minute, but victory is still in sight. Update your time zone (under user settings) so the Validator is there when you need it, and keep on trucking. 

Group Three: The Go On Without Me's. For you, November turned out to be a very bad month to try and write a novel. Life went completely crazycakes, and you faced a never-ending series of demanding work or school projects, health emergencies, social obligations, and/or tech meltdowns. You managed to get a few good ideas down on paper, but never quite found your novel's rhythm. You're thinking of bowing out, and planning on giving it a try next year.  

If you're a Superhero, I offer you the highest of high-fives. The word-count Validator is now live under Edit Novel Info, and it's eager for you to come paste a scrambled version of your 50,000-word (or longer!) manuscript into its maw and hit the Submit button. Your purple winner bar, winner's certificate, and other goodies await.  

To the Come-Back-Kids: I am so with you. I somehow fall 10,000 words behind pace every year. I also win every year, and you can too. Easy-peasy. Our path to victory lies in huge word-count days. The sooner you knock out your first 5,000-word day, the happier you and your book will be. Don't wait until the last minute! To help get some momentum, allow yourself to write the juiciest, word-filled climactic scenes still to come in your book, even if it requires some skipping ahead. Start writing as soon as you finish this email.   

For the Go On Without Me's: This is going to sound really weird, but you're in the best shape of all three groups. You're off the map, but that's the point of this escapade. NaNoWriMo is to there to put you in such an impossible situation that you can stop worrying about perfection and achievement and just savor the thrill that comes with making and doing. Think of the remaining days in NaNoWriMo as an anything-goes creative retreat. You sacrificed your novel to the world around you this month, and the world around you appreciated it. But you now get some time for you. You may not write 50,000 words, but you still have plenty of time to create something smaller and equally wonderful. Return to the page—there's still a beautiful adventure waiting for you.

To everyone: Have a great final lap of NaNoWriMo. Write like the wind! We're almost home.

Warm noveling regards,

Chris
30,001 words