This has grown to mean something more than a simple word count. It is now a challenge to my creative will and energy. It has become a confrontation with issues I have long avoided and considered taboo. It threatens my natural tendency to procrastinate, so my procrastination has sought refuge in other areas of my life.

Last night was the first time in more than a year I had a dream. I don't recall the details, but I awoke shivering and feeling unsettled. My mouth was raw and dry, which usually means I was talking in my sleep. The sheets were in complete disarray and bedding was on the floor.

Unresolved worries run rampant through my mind. I've been avoiding them during my waking hours, so they've come to visit me subconsciously. Avoiding them longer will only make things worse. The solution requires more courage, trust, forgiveness and humility than I've ever possessed.

No pressure. It's funny how a plotless story has managed to transform itself into a Pandora's box.