#NaNoWriMo2016 Inspiration ~ #amwriting #Nanowrimo

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones
~ Confucius

Writing a novel is a dream for many, but the entire process can become overwhelming quickly.  Even if you KNOW you can finish a novel, because you've proved it before, sometimes the idea of starting over--moving that mountain--can dissuade even the most prolific authors. It's a big job.

After having three books published within three years, I found myself yearning for a break in 2014.  I figured it would be a good opportunity to spend more time in the real world, but then a story idea hit me, and the idea for my latest release, Haunted Souls, was born.  The initial inspiration came from a ghost tour I went on with my sister in Cape Cod's Barnstable Village, which started and ended at the Old Jail.

I'd never even heard of the Old Jail, and it's truly a historic gem.  It's the oldest wooden jail in the country, actually, and is thought to have been built in 1690, on orders from the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colony Courts.  It's considered actively haunted, and you can read more about it--and the plotline it inspired--in my Old Jail post.

The story grew in my mind, and I managed a few chapters, but I couldn't seem to find much time to dedicate to writing that summer.  Plus, my imagination needed recharging, so in the meantime, I researched what I would need to know about Cape Cod history and my military hero's background to get the details right.

Then it was suddenly October, which is always a busy month for me, as I write about hauntings and other paranormal elements.  So I told myself I would give NaNoWriMo a try, and on Nov. 1st, I opened up that dusty Word document.

It worked!  I don't know if I "won", since I had a few chapters done beforehand, and I didn't finish the manuscript by Nov. 30th, but I did surpass 50,000 words in a month, well on my way to a completed first draft.  The finished product, Haunted Souls, released from my publisher this June.

I fit in as much promotion as I could during another busy Cape Cod summer, and then in was Back-to-School obligations and another Halloween season keeping me away from my keyboard. But I promised I'd get going again on Nov. 1, and here I am, back in NaNoWriMo mode.  So, fellow NaNoWriMo participants, I'm wishing us all good luck...keep moving that mountain, 1,667 words at a time!