NaNoWriMo month is over! I’m freee! A dozen and one technical issues conspired against this blog — dead wifi drivers, broken mice, and unco-operative web interfaces galore — but it’s here now, and it’s time to see how the month went.

My goals were:

• Write 50,000 words! Failed, but I got more than halfway with 26,192. And that’s the highest monthly wordcount in a while!
• Get back on the healthy eating bandwagon.  SMASHED IT.
• Keep on spinning and walking. Check and cheeeck!
• Finish the first Game of Thrones book. Done!
• Try and catch up with my NetGalley reads. Done! But I totally kicked off a new NetGalley addiction that demands more new reads.

Previously in Health

Yeah, that’s right, a new section! I figured since exercising more and losing weight is such a big focus of my year, I better give it a new section. Also, it’s an excuse to post dog walk and hiking photos.

This has been a good month — I got my eating habits back in line after Halloween de-railing and hit the -20lbs mark on my weight loss goals. More importantly in a lot of ways, I’ve been keeping up regular lunchtime walks (the only chance to see the sun in Scottish winter…), bi-weekly indoor cycling/spinning class, and walking at least 10,000 steps most days. My dog is pretty pleased, here he is in his rad safety gear.

And here’s some pretty scenery from a recent hike in Sanquar Woods, Forres…

Lovely little hike in the woods today. Lots of closures but I got to try out some new routes for a change! pic.twitter.com/4qCrL3Mn7W

— Emma Maree (@EMaree) November 19, 2016

Next month is going to be trickier. The ice is going to mess with my usual long walks, and spinning class will close down for the Christmas period. But I’ve ordered a new walking belt for the dog, I’m trying out yoga, and I’m hopeful that if all else fails I can maintain my healthy eating goals… until Christmas week, at least. Eeep.

Previously in Writing

I failed NaNoWriMo, but I’m having a hard time caring because 26,192 words! That’s a lot of words! That’s more words than I’ve written in one month in a whiiiiile!

And importantly, lots of fun story stuff was discovered during this month’s writing. This is a tricky WIP, it has so much history that it’s hard to implement changes, but I’m excited to get it detangled and done.

Previously in Reading

I’m keeping the in/out ratio even, but only juuuuusttt (and only because I’m not facing up to the manga pile, tbh). I need to work on my new NetGalley addiction, but my goodness, there are so many amazing books coming out and I want them all.

Books Added this Month:
TOTAL: 7
The Seventh Bride [eBook]
Windswept [eBook]
Every Body Yoga [NetGalley eBook]
Good Me, Bad Me [NetGalley eBook]
Year of No Cluter [NetGalley eBook]
A Street Cat Named Bob [eBook]
They Mostly Come Out at Night [eBook]

(And a pile of NetGalley Manga Classics titles which I’ll add to the TBR pile next month once I sort out the formatting.)

Books Finished & Removed:
TOTAL:  7

Game of Thrones (ASOIAF, #1) [Paperback]
Seige and Storm (The Grisha, #2) [Audiobook]
Nevernight [NetGalley eBook]
Nina is Not Okay [NetGalley eBook]
Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, #3) [Audiobook]
The One Memory of Flora Banks [NetGalley eBook]
A Map of Bones (The Fire Sermon, #2) [Audiobook]

Next Time in Goals

• Write 25,000 words
• Beta read a friend’s awesome book
• Catch up with the NetGalley reads
• Play more video games!

There’s not going to be a Previously next month, but I’ll still be back to stay accountable for my goals and my ever-scary TBR pile.

A Word of Advice

Progress is progress. Even if you didn’t meet your goals for this month, you’re further ahead than you were when you started. Keep going!

I’d love to hear how you did this month. Did you hit your writing goals? Are you going to take it easy on December or kick it up a notch?

Oh, and before I go, have a picture of a cute guy and a cute puppy. Here’s my partner, Dave, and Bear the minature poodle.