Lunch with the #Authors of #TWRP! Cape Cod #writerslife #amwriting #NaNoWriMo

Authors and President of The Wild Rose Press in Hyannis

Another wildly busy month is over...somehow October always flies by, which is a shame since as a fan of all things spooky, it's my favorite month!  Our weekends were filled with events--all fun ones, thankfully.  We had Parents' Weekend at UNH for our college kid, a 30-year-reunion at the Coast Guard Academy for my husband's class of 1989, a long girls' weekend away to Seattle with my BFFs (we all turned 50 this year and went to visit the one friend who ended up on the West Coast, since she always comes to us), a visit to a historic lighthouse and home now owned by the Coast Guard (a property that once included a small-pox hospital--book idea?), my first time seeing Sweeney Todd at a local theater, a book signing event, and Senior Night soccer game for my high school kid.

The view from our VRBO in Seattle...overlooking the harbor and Pike Place

It now seems like a long time ago, but in the middle of the month, I also had the pleasure of having lunch with the president of one of my publishers (The Wild Rose Press) and some local authors who also write for TWRP.

Last time the president of the company was here on Cape Cod was 2015, when she spoke at the Cape Cod Writer's Conference, and we had quite a group of authors together for lunch.

It's such fun to get together and talk shop with other writers, especially since writing can be such a solitary endeavor.  This month is National Novel Writing Month, which involves trying to write 50K words--nearly an entire novel--in 30 days, so I'll be quite a bit less social in November, as I work to finish the first draft of Ghost Moon, my 7th novel.

We had a wonderful meal at The Black Cat, right on the Hyannis waterfront, and I was able to catch up with a long-time author friend and meet a new one.  This event was much smaller than the last publisher lunch, seeing as how it was fall on Cape Cod as opposed to summer (and a Nor'Easter dumped wind and rain on the Cape all weekend as well).  But we had an intimate lunch filled with both work and personal topics, and lots of laughs.

Now, back to my NaNoWriMo daily word goal...wish me luck!

I'm a USA Today Bestselling #Author! #amwriting #books #Romance #Suspense

This will be a Thanksgiving to remember!  On Wednesday evening, as I was juggling peeling potatoes, chopping vegetables, and preparing stuffing, I got the news...the Love Under Fire Romantic Suspense Box Set I'm a part of made the USA Today Bestseller's List, coming in at #44 for the week!  One of the authors in the set discovered this online, and the screenshot and the pdf were easy to download, but the Top 50 Bestsellers also go into the print newspaper, and I really, really needed to have my copy.

So I dropped everything and ran out the door into the frigid darkness.  I'd already been the the grocery store twice that day for last minute food items, but I started there, braving the jammed parking lot.  No copies of USA Today left.  I tried the minimart/liquor store, the gas station store, and the other major grocery store in town, trying very hard not to have a fender bender in my anxious state.  Finally, striking out everywhere and not even 100% sure the Bestseller List would actually *be* in that day's paper, I decided I'd try one more store before returning home to get on with the abandoned meal prep.  Walgreens.  I found two copies left, and I frantically flipped through until I found the list.  It was there and Love Under Fire was there!  I bought both copies and navigated the traffic home a bit more calmly.

Two spots beneath the Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins
Clark, who I once signed books next to at an event!

Many thousands of copies have to be sold to make this list, and I'm so proud of the promotional work all the authors on the team did to spread the word about our collection.  We each contributed a brand new, never-before-published novel or novella to the set, and all the stories have elements of romance, suspense, and mystery, with various subgenres represented as well (paranormal romantic suspense, historical romantic suspense, romance/cozy mystery, etc.).  In line with our release near Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, we decided to donate 50% of our profits to Pets for Vets, a wonderful charity pairing shelter animals with veterans seeking companion animals.  So this was very much an author give-back as well as cross-promotion for all of us, with the opportunity to share our work with thousands of new readers.

Love Under Fire is a limited-edition collection, which will only be available until the end of January.  After that, the set will break up and the books will become available individually.  You can still purchase a copy of the set or get it free with Kindle Unlimited here.

My book in the set is The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, and the first editorial review from N.N. Light's Book Heaven gave it 5+ stars!  It's spooky, as it's a ghost mystery, but the good thing about the Romance genre is that Happy Endings are a must (at least for the main characters...we're not making promises beyond that!).

My ghost mystery/romance in the set

You can see a great round-up of all the titles in the set, along with each cover and blurb, here.  So many great stories!

When I started this journey 11 years ago, writing the opening lines (later cut!) of Silver Lake on a long car ride, I never dared to dream about something like this!  Over the years, I've experienced many highs and lows associated with writing, and I've spent several Novembers in the throes of NaNoWriMo, forcing myself past writer's block by getting in the required daily word count.  So it will be nice to associate Thanksgiving with this year's memory now!  As I reflect on the most important things I'm thankful for--family, friends, health, a roof over my head--I'm also thankful to have reached this personal milestone and to have helped raise so much money for Pets for Vets.  Time to open the champagne!   

Jinx wanted to help celebrate too!  All 3 of my
rescue pets love the charity we supported!

"Will Leave the Reader Breathless" #Book #Review ~ #Romance #Ghosts

I was thrilled to see a new review of my latest romance + ghost mystery, Haunted Souls, up at Reader's Favorite Book Reviews on Halloween!  Adding to the excitement, a few days later, I got an email from my publisher with the first 15 minutes of Haunted Souls being read by the narrator we chose...by December, the audio version of this steamy romance mixed with spooky suspense will be released on Audible!

A damaged soldier, a secret baby, and a haunting mystery
collide in Haunted Souls

In the meantime, I'm working hard to finish my fifth manuscript, tentatively entitled Dangerous Currents.  I was hoping this month to use NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) as inspiration, but these days, I've found I prefer to write at a slower pace, revising and attempting to get each word right the first time, rather than going for speed and editing later.  And that method is not conducive to writing an entire novel in a month!  The good news is, I already had quite a bit done, so at this point I'm closing in on 70,000 words...which means I have about 4 more (extremely emotional and tense) chapters to get to the end.

So, this is a short post, since I need to get back to it!  The new review gave me a shot of energy, which I could really use.  One of the best things about it is that while the reviewer did not care for the hero, Brett, at first, that changed as his backstory was revealed.  Any time an author can evoke emotions about a fictional character--whether positive or negative--is an achievement, in my opinion, because these people spring from our imaginations.  We often create them from nothing.  Of course, most of us want a character we love to be likable to readers, but in this case, I was thrilled to change someone's initial impression with the eventual explanation of Brett's past.  And then, there's my favorite line: "From the characters to the theme of love, Knight creates a dark, yet tender world that will leave the reader breathless."  That very eloquently sums up what I set out to do!  I hope you'll check out the full review here, and if it sounds like something you'd enjoy, add Haunted Souls to your To-Be-Read list!  And whether you're a professional reviewer on a site or a reader who's never left a review, know that authors sincerely appreciate the feedback, and that it makes our day to hear someone enjoyed a story!  

A few of my favorite quotes from other Haunted Souls reviews

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

Drawing Inspiration from #NaNoWriMo ~ #amwriting past #writersblock #NaNoWriMo2017

Last year, I wrote about how I'd used NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, to find the inspiration to get back into writing my fourth novel, Haunted Souls, which has since been contracted and released (and is going to be made into an audio book before the end of the year!).  I was again in a rut last November, in terms of finding the time and motivation to write, so I decided I'd try to use the momentum of NaNoWriMo again to at least get a good start on my fifth novel, tentatively titled Dangerous Currents.  This manuscript has been a real challenge for me, as it has no paranormal element, but I do like to grow as a writer in terms of doing different things, and of course, I have to write the story that comes into my head.  So I got busy on November 1st, and things were going well.

Then...I got derailed.  I got the news that my Dad had a tumor.  Meanwhile, we were finishing up my older son's college applications and awaiting news.  All the emotional upheaval took its toll, and my word count had to be put on the back burner.

I visited my Dad in Maryland when I could, we went on college visits, we celebrated the holidays and all our winter birthdays.  In April, my father lost his battle, and we planned his funeral.  In May, my son accepted his offer of admission to University of New Hampshire, and we began planning for his college career.  Summer came, with welcome visitors and sunny beach days.  It was cathartic and chaotic and wonderful, but it was also a countdown to my oldest son leaving home.  I tried to enjoy every minute, and along the way, I stopped writing completely.  A part of me felt empty without it, but I knew my family needed me more than my fictional characters, and I didn't have an ounce of emotion left over for them anyway.  I hoped they'd be waiting for me when I was ready again.

I did get A LOT of reading done during my "hiatus"...check
back for my fav books of 2017 this January!

Once we'd settled my older son in his new home away from home and my younger son had begun his sophomore year of high school, I decided it might be time.  But, I was scared...it had been months since I'd written anything, and I was fairly certain writer's block had made itself comfortable on my imagination's couch.  

I convinced myself to start slowly.  Reading back, revising, editing, getting acquainted with my characters again...each day it got easier.  October is always a busy month for me in terms of events, as a lot of my novels involve ghost mysteries or other supernatural elements, but by the end of the month, I realized I'd made significant progress since I started back in September.  In fact, I had 65,000 words...more than enough to qualify as a full-length novel, except for the fact that it wasn't done.  It was going to take about 4 more highly emotional chapters before I could allow my characters their Happily Ever After and type "The End".

So, that's my NaNoWriMo goal.  I know it's not the traditional definition of "winning", but if I actually finish this book, I will be overjoyed.  I'm going for 1,000 words a day, with breaks planned for my best friend's visit and my family's visit (and my older son being home!) over Thanksgiving.  I'd like to think that another 20,000 words will get me there, or at least, very close.

Will I be able to sell it?  I can't predict that for certain.  But just to finish Dean and Malorie's story will mean a lot to me, in terms of overcoming writer's block.  And that, to me, will be a victory!

Happy writing, NaNoWriMo-ers!  One word at a time :)

Emotional Roller Coasters + #WritersBlock ~ #amwriting #writerslife

"Writers Write" -- until they don't, or can't, for some reason.  This is a re-post of the story I shared originally on fellow author Casi McLean's blog, as part of her "Authors Bare All" (ABA) series:

There are a lot of posts and articles about various tricks and exercises which can be used to combat writer’s block, but this isn’t one of them.  It’s really more my personal story of fighting my way back to writing after walking away from it for a while.

A lot of authors are very prolific, turning out several books a year, but I’m not one of them.  It usually takes me an average of a year’s time to write a full-length manuscript.  It takes a lot out of me, too, even though I do derive pleasure from the process when things are going smoothly.  But, of course, writing, and life, don’t always go smoothly.

My new release and an event with
some literary stars were some of the
highlights of the summer of 2016!

My fourth novel, Haunted Souls, came out the summer of 2016, and I spent a lot of time doing promotional events that summer—including signing books with an author idol, Mary Higgins Clark!  Then suddenly it was October, a popular month for my combination of ghost mysteries and romance, and as usual, I over-scheduled myself with both online events and author panels and talks.  My writing, which had taken a back seat to a new release over the summer, stalled out completely.

For me, once that happens, it can be a challenge to get back.  I had the idea, I had the first few chapters, I had an outline, I’d done the research…but I couldn’t seem to force myself to sit down and actually type words.  So I decided I would participate inNaNoWriMo…not with the goal of actually finishing the novel, but with the goal of getting the required word count in daily, which would equate to 50,000 words in a month’s time.  This has worked for me before, and as I get on a roll, it gets easier.  And so I began.

It was going great.  And then my Dad found the tumor, around Thanksgiving.  My inspiration for word counts dwindled.  I kept trying for a while, but by the time I found myself thinking “just write 100 words today”, and still dreading it, I decided enough was enough.  I have fans who are looking for my next book, and I’m eternally grateful for that and loathe to disappoint them.  But I’m also not locked into any million-dollar contract that says I have to submit a book at a certain time, either.  So I closed the Word document and threw myself into other things.

One of those things was going through the final part of the college decision-making process with my older son…college visits, campus tours, etc.  Then there were also the senior class events which became more frequent as the spring went on.  I spoke with my Dad a lot, visited him in D.C when I was able, and tried to hold it together.  He lost the battle in April, and then I set about helping plan a funeral while grieving.

My older son graduated in June, and I was determined to spend as much time with him, and the family, as I could the summer before he left for college.  Occasionally I thought of my unfinished manuscript, but even looking at it seemed too overwhelming.  Losing the only parent I had left, having a son finish high school and prepare to leave home…it was an emotional roller coaster and all I could do was hang on tight, savor the memories, and work on making new ones.

After my son was successfully set up at his new home away from home, I started thinking about writing again.  I missed it.  My characters still wanted their story told.  I had over 50,000 words done already.  But I was scared.  Could I even still write?

I told myself I’d just read it.  One chapter a day, to get reacquainted with the story.  I liked what I had.  And while I didn’t exactly “write” every day, I did make changes, take notes, edit, etc., all the while letting the pieces of the plot sink back in, along with the finer details.  And when I got to that last sentence, right in the middle of a scene, I just picked it back up.  Slowly at first, but then I gained momentum.

So, I’m back at it, going strong, and I’m really excited about that.  And very relieved that I haven’t “lost it”—I just needed time.

Back at it!
Please share your story, fellow authors!

Getting Published~ Featured in Cape Cod article! #amwriting #writingtips

I had a lot of events scheduled throughout the fall, several of which involved appearing with two fellow authors who write for my publisher.  In November, we spoke together as a panel at the monthly "A Book in the Hand" event in Dennis on Cape Cod.  Our presentation was designed to offer advice to aspiring writers on getting published, and we were also able to share our individual stories.  It was a well-attended event, and we fielded many questions from the audience.

Kevin Symmons, Kathryn Knight, and Katie O'Sullivan at
A Book in The Hand

A reporter from the Cape Cod Times was there as well, and she used some of our discussion for her article "So You Want to Get Published", which appeared in the Cape Books section on December 4, 2016.  I was both mentioned and quoted, which was very exciting.  

The link to the article is below for anyone who would like to read it!  As I tell my writing classes, the most important thing is to finish that book...nothing can happen until it's done!  Everyone has a different writing method (mine is slow, with edits made along the way...hence the not surprising major NaNoWriMo fail), but one thing holds true for everyone: the words will not magically appear by themselves.  So, Butt in Chair, Fingers on Key Board is some of the best advice out there.  For more info on the later stages, here is the article:

 Cape Books: So You Want to Get Published...

#Author Panel on Cape Cod ~ #CapeCod #amwriting #Barnstable

After a whirlwind of events in October, things have quieted down…a little.  I’m doing NaNoWriMo, also known as “National Novel Writing Month”, which requires devoting a lot of time to writing!  But I’m excited to be speaking this Monday, November 14^th, as part of an author panel in Dennis.  I’ll be with two authors who also write for my publisher—Katie O’Sullivan and Kevin Symmons.  The three of us will discuss our “Writer’s Journey” and answer questions about our road to publication.

Katie (center), Kevin (right), and I (left) with a few
readers at another event we did together.

If you’re in the Cape Cod area, please join us on Monday night for this special format of the monthly “A Book in the Hand”, a celebration of the written word held at Jacob Sears Memorial Library, located at 23 Center St., East Dennis.  We’ll all have books to sign, in genres including paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and young adult.  I’ll have plenty of copies of my latest release, a steamy military romance + ghost mystery entitled HAUNTED SOULS.  Hope to see you there!  

#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!

#Whole30 ~ Week 2 #SeptemberWhole30 Journey #FridayFitness

I’ve made it through the first two weeks of the Whole30, and I thought I’d share my results.  First, though, a little background.  I decided to try this for a few reasons, but the biggest reasons were to see if this eating plan could increase my energy levels and improve my mental clarity.  I’m planning on starting my fifth novel in November, after all my October haunting Halloween-related events are over, and since November is also what’s known to writers as “Nanowrimo”, or National Novel Writing Month, that will serve as extra incentive.  But the idea is to complete a certain amount of words each day toward the manuscript, and in addition to a good idea, which I have, that takes—yep, you guessed it—energy and mental focus.

I can say with certainty that I feel better at this point.  The beginning can be hard, I won’t lie.  I tried this once before, with a bunch of women at the gym where I teach fitness classes, and I barely made it through the 7 days of our goal.  Really, you have to push past that initial shock to your body (sometimes referred to as “carb flu”) in order to reap the benefits of clean eating.  The book, It Starts With Food, explains it very well, and I highly recommend reading it first if you’re going to try Whole30.  Not only does it clearly explain WHY you need to leave certain foods out, it does so with humor and just enough science to drive the point home.

So far, the hardest thing for me to give up has been diet soda.  Why not wine, you ask?  Well, because, I have to admit I’ve had a glass here and there.  I know, I know…that’s cheating.  But I also know myself—in fact, I’ve lived with myself for 47 years.  And I knew if I said absolutely no wine for 30 days I might just not try eating clean at all.  So I’ve stayed away from it for the most part, but when I indulged, I did so making sure I did not fall into one of the main reasons it’s banned: alcohol can impair your willpower, thus opening the door for bad food choices.  I have not let that happen.  And I decided allowing myself one glass was better than setting out a glass of 100% grape juice and waiting for it to accidentally ferment, which may have been my back-up plan.

So, what have been my “must-haves” during these two weeks?  Sweet potatoes with ghee (clarified butter) is almost like a dessert for someone like me, who usually avoids carbs like the plague.  Certain flavors of Larabars are allowed, so if I DO feel like I need something sweet, it’s either fruit or one of those.  A spoonful of almond butter is a filling treat.  And I love dipping veggies into homemade guacamole.

This plan has also made me more cognizant of what’s in our food, and I’ve enjoyed expanding my repertoire of recipes to make healthy dinners that even my two teenage boys like.  Providing I make it through another week, I’ll post some of my favorite new recipes.  I might even try to make homemade mayonnaise, which my neighbor assures me is easy.  I should probably video this for the comedic value alone.  And I would love some more support for this journey, so if you’re currently doing the Whole30, or you’ve done it in the past, or you’re considering it, or you’re interested to see if I cut off any fingers while making homemade condiments, comment below and share your thoughts! 

Writing Inspiration ~ #amwriting #Nanowrimo

Last November, I tried NaNoWriMo for the first time ever, and while I didn't finish a complete manuscript in one month, I did "win" in terms of word count.  By February, I had typed "the end" to my fourth novel, and now Haunted Souls is awaiting a release date.  I decided not to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, as I've branched out into teaching writing classes as well, and to say I'm over-scheduled at the moment would be a tremendous understatement.  But I wanted to cheer on all the writers working on getting their daily word count in by posting the inspirational quote I keep on my keyboard.  And if your fingers need a break and you care to read the story behind the quote, I've included it below.  The original post first appeared as one of my contributions to The Pearls of Writing Wisdom ~ a blog co-written by ten published authors dedicated to sharing weekly writing tips on Tuesdays and inspiration on Fridays.

The quote taped to my keyboard came to me in a fortune cookie on New Year's Eve in 2010. It seemed appropriate for what I was feeling, since my resolution was to begin sending out queries for my first manuscript, Silver Lake.

Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain. - Michael Angier

Now, I'm not comparing writing to the kind of courage it takes to go into battle to defend your country or something like that.  But it does take courage to go after your dreams, especially when the dream is as big as writing a novel and getting it published.  It's easy to say "Someday, I'm going to write that novel." It's much harder to actually do it.  Even once those first words get typed, there's no guarantee your energy and inspiration will hold out until you get to "The End". A writer pours blood, sweat, tears, caffeine, and days spent in pajamas into a manuscript, and the outcome IS uncertain.  Will it all come together?

But if you don't start, you definitely won't finish.  And if you don't send queries out and risk rejection, you won't find a publisher willing to back your story. Putting your creation out there is nerve-wracking at best.  I knew I was about to enter a very unpleasant stage of the process for most writers.  And there was no guarantee that if I stuck with it, my novel would find a home.

I weathered the rejections.  I rewrote and made cuts.  I tried again.  I began receiving full requests, and then an R&R (a request to Revise and Resubmit) - with suggestions on what needed to be fixed.  Again, no guarantees, but I did the work.

And the day that contract offer came for my debut novel was one of the best days of my life.  December 16, 2011, almost a year after I opened that cookie and found the words of encouragement that remind me daily not to give up.

Keep at it, writers!

Ready to Write? Fiction Class #Plymouth #CapeCod #amwriting #NaNoWriMo

My "Fiction Writing and Publication" course is coming to Plymouth, MA, this fall!  In this 6-week class, we'll meet on Tuesday evenings beginning September 29th, from 6-8 pm, and we'll cover a multitude of topics related to writing fiction and getting it published.

There's something for writers at every stage in this class.  We'll go over some of the basics, such as identifying genres in commercial fiction (necessary for meeting reader expectations, writing query letters, submitting to small or digital presses, and/or listing your book in Amazon categories), idea inspiration, staying on track and word count goals.  Once we've covered the basics, we'll move on to showing vs. telling, Goal-Motivation-Conflict charts, character development, and the hook. Common pitfalls will be covered, such as info dumps, cliches, Mary Sues, and POV (Point of View) issues/head hopping.

Finally, we'll get to querying agents or presses and writing the dreaded blurbs and synopsis. We'll go over all the different publishing options available as well as promotion and marketing.  And if you're considering trying NaNoWriMo, we'll finish up right in time!  Follow the link for registration info: Cape Cod Community College Plymouth Schedule.

HAUNTED SOULS is Finished! #amwriting #romance + ghostly #suspense

Haunted Souls, like Gull Harbor,
is set on beautiful Cape Cod

Today, I typed the final sentence of HAUNTED SOULS, my fourth novel.  I'm still kind of in a daze...I wrote this novel very quickly.  It's now complete at 80,000 words, another steamy romance mixed with a suspenseful haunting, which is my favorite type of book to write (and read)!


I finished my first Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL, in December of 2013.  Between edits for that book and author events for my other novels, I didn't have a lot of time or energy to work on anything else.  But I did have an idea brewing, and as writers know, eventually the characters and the story win out.  I did mountains of research, pages of timelines and character Goal-Motivation-Conflict charts, and managed 20,000 words before the summer release of Divine Fall.

A haunting mystery intertwines
with a reunion romance in
Haunted Souls

After that, I was toast.  New release promotion plus tons of events in October (a huge month for me, as all of my novels have a paranormal element) left me zero time for anything.  I didn't even buy a pumpkin until a few days before Halloween.  But all the time, those characters were relentlessly creating dialog in my head, and my mind was constantly spinning plot twists.  As busy as I was, I felt empty without a work-in-progress underway.  That file with 20,000 words entitled "Novel #4" stared at me from my desktop.

So, I decided to use the start of NaNoWriMo as inspiration.  I told myself when November 1st hit, I'd start writing again, full-force.  I had no expectations of finishing in one month--that's not the way I write. But it was great motivation and I managed about another 20,000 words--not bad for a month filled with my son's birthday and the Thanksgiving holiday.

Then, in December, I entered the first page of Haunted Souls into a contest, and it won an exclusive submission to a literary agent!  How's that for motivation?  But of course, agents can't do much with partial manuscripts.  I decided to wait to submit until I had it finished.

Now I knew I could do 20,000 words in a month.  And I did it--60K by the end of Dec., even during the crazy holiday rush!  A little over a month later--today, February 4th, I finished the last chapter, and it clocked in at 80,078.  I'd done another 20K in about 30 days.  Whew!

CLINK! :)

So, tonight is celebration time!  I'm going to crack open a bottle of champagne when my hubby gets home.  It almost feels like I'm returning to the land of reality, after submersing myself into my characters' world so deeply for so long.  Soon, I'll feel that familiar ache that comes with the story being over.  But tonight, I'm over the moon.

Tomorrow, I'll think about that dreaded synopsis...yep, tomorrow.

Thoughts on #NaNoWriMo #amwriting

The first time I saw the term "NaNoWriMo", I thought...what the heck kind of word is that?  Then, much later, when I found out what it meant, I was stunned.  Write a novel in a month?  What?

Warning:  Do Not Put
Beverages Directly on Keyboard

It takes me--minimum--nine months to write a full length novel.  I can't imagine trying to finish one in 30 days!  And 50,000 words is A LOT!  Plus, November, to me, seems an odd month to attempt such a lofty goal.  For many people, it's the start of the busy holiday season.  For me, personally, it's the start of the holiday season PLUS the lead off to consecutive months of every birthday celebration in my little family of four: one in November, one in December, and two in January.  Not to mention two extended family birthdays and one anniversary.


But the idea, I've now come to realize, is to promote inspiration and motivation.  And accountability, if a participant chooses to register their work at the official website.  The philosophy is "quantity over quality", and this is a great way for people to get started.  Writers write.

I'm not sure that approach would work for me at this point, as I now tend to be a perfectionist as I write.  A full-length novel at my publishing house is 65,000-100,000 words.  Usually, when I've finished the last sentence in a manuscript, I'm already somewhere in that range.  From there, the editing process only involves small details or little pockets of research.  It's just the way I write these days.  I make Goal/Motivation/Conflict charts in advance, as well as pages of character back-stories, lists of reveals, hints leading up to reveals, facts from research, etc., etc.

But that certainly isn't how I started.  I had an outline for SILVER LAKE in my head when I began, with some fairly significant character development as well, thanks to years of thinking about the story.  But no charts or schedules.  I began writing in a notebook, on an 8-hour car ride. It took me 2 1/2 years to finish the first draft, and there were months when I didn't write a word. Of course, I was absolutely thrilled when I reached the end, but even when I polished it up, it clocked in somewhere in the neighborhood of 135,000 words.

Seeing the cover art
for the first time was
an incredible feeling!

Way too many for a first novel.  And there are good reasons for that...my novel was a perfect example.  Thankfully, the editor who received my submission liked the story idea enough to give me some pointers.  I took her advice to heart and rewrote...not once, but three times.  The end result was a tightly-paced 78,000 word novel that I sold to a publisher.  That was my dream come true, and the reason I achieved it was because I pushed myself to start the novel on that car ride in April of 2008.  Then,  I persevered after the initial rejections because I had the basic bones there...I was even told not to change the second half at all.

My understanding of NaNoWriMo is that the novel begun on November 1st must not be a work-in-progress.  So that counts me out, since I have something I'm working on (see HAUNTED SOULS Pinterest Board). That has to come first, even thought I'd love to be part of the NaNoWriMo camaraderie I see playing out online everyday.  

October is a busy month
for authors of paranormal -
but I enjoyed all the events!

I have decided to tap into the spirit of the challenge, though.  My latest novel released in July, and that was my third in three years.  I was exhausted.  Promotion and marketing take a lot of my time, and then there's my other job and of course my family.  I couldn't bring myself to continue work on my fourth manuscript, the one I was 22,000 words into when DIVINE FALL released.

So on November 1st, I committed to writing something every day.  No word goals.  Just work on the manuscript, at least once a day.  And you know what happened?  The words just began tumbling out.  My characters took control.  I found myself once again submerged in the twisting plot lines of a reunion romance and a spooky ghost story.

Six days later, I'm at 31,500 words.  A gain of close to 10,000!  I know it doesn't count, in terms of the NaNoWriMo rules.  But for me, it's been an exhilarating achievement.  I'm going to keep going.  So the moral of the story is...just write.