nano stats, again

So at one point yesterday, I clipped this little tidbit from my nano profile:

Today's Stats

Words Written Today 509
Words to Write until 1667 1158
Suggested Daily Word Count 1667
Cumulative Word Count 4101Total


Current Day 9
Suggested Cumulative Word Count 15000
Average Words per Day 456
At This Rate You Will Finish On Feb 18
Days Remaining 21
Words to Write Until 15000 10899
Total Words Remaining 45899
Words per Day to Finish on Time 2186
 
I could let the little mathematical factoids and the 'you have this far to go, and maybe you'll make your word count sometime next year', etc really discourage me very easily.  But this year I won't.
 
This year I find it quite comical.  It's a good thing, too. 
 
I am having fun writing this little book on a whim and a wing and a prayer, and I'm seeing some nice stuff come of it, but I just don't have the general thrust and motivation of it yet.  I want to.  I really really want to, but I just haven't yet.  But I am happy with the characters the general direction, etc...somehow I have to find the main character's real motivation to do what she's about to do and make it about more than just her annoying younger brother.  He really isn't as annoying as she makes him out to be.
 
I think her best friend is a good jumping point.  That's a smart cookie, and she's nice.  Her violin and art teachers have said some motivating and make her think things to her too.  I like them.  I really like the two girls' moms, too.  they are very different, but both pretty realistic and good mothers in their unique ways.
 
And I'm pretty pleased with approximately 500 words a day.  That's progress in my book....and in my mayhem....considering I still have about thirty pages of my original completed manuscript edits to go and I  am astutely avoiding those by writing Nano instead.