NaNoWriMo November

Greetings, readers & writing friends!

Wowsa. November. What a month!

I had one writing goal this month: to write 50,000 words in a novel. Why did I have such a goal, you might ask. Well, I participated in National Novel Writing Month. The challenge began in 1999, and now, every year, writers from all over the world gather online to participate, write, and cheer each other on.

This was my first real NaNoWriMo. Usually, by November, my brain is so spent from writing all year long that there's no way I can do 50,000 in a single month. But this year, the writing gods aligned: I needed to write a book to meet my 2022 contracted deadlines.

It was a daunting task. I chose to write Book #2 in my Book Blogger Mysteries. Book #1 is scheduled to be edited in January 2022, so I knew I was taking a risk by writing a sequel before the first book is revised, but deadlines didn't give me much choice. Not that I minded; I was looking forward to returning to my characters in Copper Bay, Massachusetts, where the series is set. I needed time with them to figure out the series as a whole. It had been a long time since I wrote the first book, so it honestly felt like I was meeting these guys for the first time.

Until I began writing, that is. Once I dove into Chapter One, it felt as if time hadn't passed at all. It was magical. Something about this NaNoWriMo challenge just fueled me further and further through the story. Most days, I wrote 2000+ words in a sitting. The story just kept flowing out of me.

I've never had that writing experience before, at least, not throughout an entire manuscript. I usually get this frantic "MUST KEEP TYPING" mindset when the killer is about to be unmasked and I'm nearing the end of the story. But thank goodness, the writing gods propelled me forward, and I not only wrote 50,000 words, but I also kept going until the entire book was finished.

I couldn't have done this without the NaNoWriMo community. Every day, I had people cheering me on, complimenting my progress, and giving me some TLC when I needed it. The community spirit proved to be a great support, and the challenge proved to be a great motivator. I won't lie, I'm super competitive. Seeing people further along in their challenge fueled me to do better, to write more, to stay focused. While I was only competing against myself, that spark kept me in the game to cross the finish line.

I wrote 50,000 words in a month. I finished writing a book.

Mind you, it needs serious, and I mean SERIOUS, revisions. But that will come later, and try as they might, revisions will never be as taxing as writing an entire book. Because the story is there. It might need some finessing, but it is there on a page, not just in my head.

I kept saying to myself, why can't I do this every month? Why can't I bang out 50,000 words in 30 days?

Well, I must admit, after writing 50,000 words and winning this challenge, I am tired. This month was super grueling, and my brain needs some time to regroup. Maybe come January, I'll challenge myself once more, but for now, I'm enjoying tinkering with other manuscripts and working on projects that were neglected during November.

But regardless, I am still filled with a crazy sense of pride. Not only did I write 50,000 words but I managed to juggle a BOOK RELEASE, too! You Can't Candle the Truth is officially out in the world, and I am so, so delighted by the reading community's reaction to Hazel and her friends. The reviews are glowing, and the book love is real. It's definitely inspired me to push Hazel's next mystery adventure to the top of my to-do list.

As much as I wish I could curl up with a good book for the month of December, I still have things to do to round out 2021. With two book releases, three books written, a publishing contract signed, and a boost in sales, I have much to be thankful for and grateful that I still have so much left to accomplish.

 

Arms around,

S.B.

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December Downtime

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Outstanding October