NaNoWriMo November

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. If you’ve ever thought “what if”, then this is your month to make that novel happen.

The Writing Bug

Four years ago, on November 1st, I started writing Dying in Dallas. The main thing I’ve discovered since I published it in August, is that practically everyone wants to write a book. Whether it be a novel, a collection of short stories, or a children’s book, many people dream of creating something with words.

I had been one of those people for at least twenty years. In early 2016 I retired early from a career that spanned two and a half decades, and my husband and I moved from the USA to Ireland. But then I found myself asking, what now?

The Way

In April of the same year, I completed The Camino de Santiago in Spain. In just under forty days I hiked from a small town in France, across Northern Spain, and into Santiago, covering approximately 500 miles and staying in hostels and hotels along the way.

My main goal for the pilgrimage was to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. To make a long story short, while I was hiking and talking to another pilgrim one day, she told me that I should write mysteries. I had always secretly wanted to write fiction. I had so many stories in my head, but I had always been too scared to start. That it seemed like providence when she told me I should be a writer, is an understatement. So I returned to Ireland, hell-bent on writing my first novel.

NaNoWriMo

And . . . I didn’t write a word for four months. I just couldn’t get started. Then November, which is National Novel Writing Month, came along and I finally wrote my first words. During November of 2016, I wrote seventy-five percent of the first draft of Dying in Dallas. Of course, it took me almost four years to publish it, but it all happened because of NaNoWriMo. I also spent last November writing the first draft of the Halloween novella The Blood Will Tell.

The premise of NaNoWriMo is that the average book is around 50,000 words and it is completely doable to write that many words in a month. Some participants write more, and some write less. But however many words are written, it’s a start. Check out their website – I’ve definitely added enough links to it in this post. It has more information and it also has a handy word tracker. People around the world participate in the novel-writing challenge and join groups in their areas for fellowship and accountability.

What I’m Working On

This month I hope to get first drafts written for prequel novellas for two new series. I may not get them both written, but I know that I will be further along at the end of the month than when it started.

If you want to write, no matter the project, please consider joining me in NaNoWriMo this month. Comment below, or email me at jamie@jckeough.com with the project you will be working on. We can hold each other accountable.

Happy Writing!