National Novel Writing Month 2012 - Winner!

I was a winner for National Novel Writing Month 2012, meaning that I managed to write a novel of at least 50,000 words during the month (November). I completed it, at least the rough draft, on November 20, 2012, but didn't validate it at the website until November 26, 2012. The Open Office word processor, which I wrote it in, put the word count at 50,147, much less than last year's 60,973, and the website put the word count at apparently the same, which is unusual since there has normally been at least some difference. The book for 2012 was a sequel of the 2011, 2010 and 2009 ones. I joined National Novel Writing Month [ nanowrimo.org ] on March 20, 2009, as user Stephen_M_99.

The novels' word counts, mine and the website's, and the date the novel was finished:

2012: 50,147 and 50,147, November 20, 2012
2011: 60,973 and 60,977, November 21, 2011
2010: 53,076 and 53,077, November 26, 2010
2009: 52,110 and 52,111, November 28, 2009

Below are the winner web badge images for this year. If forced to make a choice, I would probably choose one of the bigger ones, without the brains.

My novel is science fiction, and though I did not put a synopsis or excerpt in the Novel Info section this time, here they are for this post:

Synopsis:
The time traveler-in-training finds himself in another dimension where reality is more pliable, and thoughts can sometimes become real, even hidden thoughts, and even good intentions can have unforeseen consquences.


Excerpt:
"Maybe nobody's here," she said. "Maybe it's abandoned."

"Maybe. But even if that's true, there should be something interesting here." Jack reached out to the door to knock on it, but as he touched it it swung open a little. He paused, and they looked at each other. Then Jack pushed slowly at the door, and it swung open the rest of the way, revealing a young man sitting at a desk across the small room from them, reading a magazine. He looked up from it in surprise.

"Hello," Jack said. "Do you have a room?"

The young man looked at them blankly, then said, "Oh, a room. You want a room. Of course. Of course I have a room." He glanced down at the magazine and hastily closed it, then stuck it in one of the desk drawers. He got up and looked at Jack, and said, "You're pretty tall, but I think I have a bed that'll fit you. Yes, I'm sure you'll fit." He turned to a line of keys on hooks on the wall behind him. "Yes, room 6, that's it. Room 6. That one has the bed." He took the key down and tossed it to Jack, who caught it

Jack looked it over numbly, then looked back up and said, "The tag says 666. You said room 6."

"Yes, that's it. The stamper kind of stuttered on it. Pay it no mind." He started to walk around from behind the desk. "I'll show you to it."

"Do you get many people here?" she said, from beside Jack, her voice sounding artificially bright.

"People? No not really. In fact, I can't remember the last person who was here." He paused in his walking. "Strange, isn't it? You'd think I'd remember a thing like that. Strange. Oh well, at least you're here!" he finished brightly. He started walking forward again, and went past them, heading for the door, when he suddenly seemed to turn, twist around, and Jack felt a sharp pain on the back of his lower leg, just below the knee...



The previous years' novels:

National Novel Writing Month 2011 - Winner!
National Novel Writing Month 2010 - Winner!
National Novel Writing Month 2009 - Winner!