November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). Along with the arrival of cooler weather, holiday prep, and fall time activities, NaNoWriMo evokes a special sort of nostalgia for me. It ushers in feelings of time spent with family, the pleasant busyness of the season, and all sorts of endings.

My life has been in a time of preparations as of late. Vacations, busy family schedules, getting ready for a number of events coming up this fall—all things to fill my timetable and make my head spin. Life with two kids and a working husband is always full of upheaval, amplified by my own activities. And it’s about to get a whole lot crazier, because I’m drafting a novel next month.

With all the craziness going on, why am I pursuing yet another year of NaNoWriMo? It’s simple, really—writing is part of my work now, and every job has its busy seasons. On a deeper level, it’s because I thrive on the discipline and the deadlines. What made me an excellent student is also what fuels me during busy times like the holidays. Sure, my house suffers a little bit as I focus on writing rather than deep cleaning. But knowing it’s a season makes the journey easier to undertake.

At the end of the day, I have to make time to write. The words aren’t always pretty. Most of the time I feel like I’m stumbling through scenes and writing clunky dialogue that no living person would ever say. But I’m fine with that, because the quality of words isn’t what I’m focused on this month. Instead, it’s the habit of writing daily that pushes me to the finish line. November is like getting all the sand into the sandbox—the sandcastles come later. There will be other months for editing, after I’ve told the story. And the process isn’t as haphazard as it may seem.

As with many things, I find that a little planning goes a long way. I’ve been outlining this book for months, and I’m very excited to hit the ground running on November 1st. In my October Newsletter (which you can read here), I talked about the symbolism behind the title Holly’s Portent. I won’t reveal too much of the book’s plot since most of the world hasn’t even read Lily’s Passage. But I will say that it seems like there will be many twists and turns as I dig deeper into the history of Alderdale and uncover some surprising truths along the way. Oh, and there will be more than one mysterious magical encounter, because where would I be without crafting a little wonder?

Here’s what you can expect from me this month:

• Weekly progress reports with word count updates and small tidbits from my drafting
• A November newsletter, set to go out on the first Friday of the month (like usual)
• Updates on my craft fair booth (and holiday preparations after that)
• Various writing memes on my social media, because humor is good

If you’re interested in hearing more about NaNoWriMo, my writing process, or my current project, reach out to me! You can find all the links to my social media and email list via the “Support My Writing” button below, along with other ways to help me keep doing what I love.

I’m looking forward to the journey. So gird up, fellow traveler, for we embark at dawn!