Happy NaNoWriMo

As the sun rises on another NaNoWriMo I am a little sad that I am not participating and trying to figure out if there is a way.
Here is the deal. I am working on a novel in a novel writing class the idea of which is to write a first draft in 12 weeks. So I am already 20,000 words into that novel. To take time off from my novel, which I think has legs, to churn out 50,000 words could be detrimental. I even feel like any extra time I have should be spent tightening up m current novel and writing the best novel possible.
I love NaNo and the creative challenge it is. The last two years I have won getting my 50,000 words in by November 30th.
The only problem is that I have also written these things which I feel can't be edited. I thought at one time that I could edit my first year NaNo. I could never figure out where to go because it was so daunting.
So I'm taking this class and there were no crazy rules. I came in with a couple chapters written and some ideas but once I started the class I changed some things. But there were no NaNo guilt monkeys that would haunt me for having two chapters already written. We set goals and we celebrate meeting them.
The process with this slower novel writing means that I have been able to pay better attention to chapters, plot, structure and pacing. I'm not under the gun so I can thing about different scenes and where those scenes go.
So anyway I am halfway through a novel that I love and a process that is slower. I think at the end of the class I will have something I can really work with. Something I can edit and something I can maybe hopefully sell once it is all cleaned up. I can not leave my MC waiting for a ride outside of school while I go frolic in the crazy frantic energy that is NaNo.
I will not be tempted by the haunted house thriller novel idea. I will see my main character though as she struggles to fit into her new step family and deal with sixth grade.
The thing that I do thank NaNo for is giving me the confidence to write a novel from start to finish. The things I learned on my previous NaNo journeys have really helped me through the novel I'm writing now.
So Happy NaNo and good luck to all my friends who are NaNoing