As I open my writing email account, I can feel a tingling in my fingers and toes. A tremble goes up my spine. My cheeks heat in anticipation. NaNoWriMo is here!
Am I working on a new novel for NaNo? Well, no and yes. I started this novel at CampNaNo in the summer, but I have been imagining this story for a couple of years now. This is the second novel in what I think will be a trilogy, so I have been working with these characters for over 10 years. (The first manuscript has been written and rewritten since 2004.) It’s invigorating to think of these characters in new ways, to reimagine some, and especially to create new ones. Having new characters speak to you is like bringing new life into the world: it’s scary, it’s unknown, it’s exciting, it’s rewarding.
For a long time, I saw writing as the non-paying, sanity-restoring hobby that I had to do to keep the voices in my head at bay. With NaNo, I’ve got an excuse to write; it is the little obsession I always knew it would be 🙂 Really, it’s the motivation I need (and wished I had years ago to get that 1st book finished earlier) to complete my work. I am a writer, and that’s okay. My participation in NaNo validates that for me.
What is NaNoWriMo? Click here to find out.
My previous post about CampNaNoWriMo: Click here
Writer’s Insight August (discussing my new novel): Click here
Daily Prompt: Vision
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“Writing Insight” feature posts occur monthly and will focus on some part of writing inspiration, technique and process. I welcome any questions you have about the writing process (as I am also a writing professor). Please post your questions in the comments below, and I will answer them in future “Writing Insight” Posts!
In a future “Writing Insight” post, I will talk about some self-published novels that defy the stigma: well done, high caliber, engaging story. If you have a suggestion (or a review) that you would like mentioned, Fill out the form below to let me know about it!