NaNoWriMo Update and Giving Thanks

I've been slowly writing my book. I bolted out the gates, but time has caught up with me between work, the holidays, etc. Right now, I'm at 38,495 words, and I need to be at 40,000 by the end of the day to keep up with the NaNoWriMo pace. I still hope to finish the novel by the end of the month. *crosses fingers*

I have realized quite a bit about myself by doing NaNoWriMo. For one, I write beginnings quickly. I typically know what I want and can jump off from there. Sometimes I slow down during the middle of a novel. Then, when it comes to the end, I screech almost to a halt. I'm not sure why. Does anyone else do this with the ends of the novels? I realized I do it for short stories too. Maybe I'm subconsciously scared of the ending. I do know the endings I want, but maybe I'm afraid I won't write them the way I see them in my head. I don't know.

Right now, I'm at the beginning of the ending of the novel. I want to write and get it done, but I still feel slow, uncertain. *sighs* I will finish it, though. I just hope it is as good as I see it in my mind.

My novel talks a lot about missing children, and this little section shows a lot about what Marc is about. Now, here is a brief excerpt:

A tall, broad shouldered man stood up. He appeared like he'd be more comfortable on a football field than in this tiny classroom. "Yes, ma'am. Give me a moment to set up my PowerPoint presentation."

            "Sure, of course." Sarah sat and gave him the floor.

            Marc inserted his flash drive into classroom's Dell computer and turned on the projector. The computer screen flashed up, and he pulled up his presentation. The title of his project flashed on the screen: 1985 Child Abductions in Roanoke, VA. Moving to the podium, he placed his notes and the remote on it. He breathed in, feeling at ease talking to this classroom. His voice came out authoritative when he said, "Today, I'm talking about the 1985 child abductions in Roanoke, VA, particularly the case of four missing children."

            He pressed a button on the remote, and the next PowerPoint slide came up. A child's bright-eyed, smiling face beamed at them. "Five-year-old Michael William Bishop was discovered missing on the morning of March 28, 1985. When his parents' search came up empty, they called the police and notified their neighbors. A city-wide search began. To this day, Michael William Bishop is still a missing person. He was my older brother." 

I'd also like to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for so many things: family, friends, pets, but I'm also thankful for the chance to write and learn. Happy Thanksgiving!