author | Beneath The Headstone

National Novel Writing Month, for those of you who are wondering. This isn’t just a witty acronym, it’s a world-wide phenomenon! Every November, hundreds upon thousands of writers gather together under one unified cause; to write a novel in the span of but one month’s time.

Last year, about this time, I began to hear about this ‘NaNoWriMo’ for the first time. I was deeply entrenched in writing ‘The Hunter Reborn’, as well as with promoting The Rise and Fall of John Rizzerio on my social media. I wanted nothing more than to take place in this event, but between finishing my current book and having to deal with full-time hours at what was supposed to be a part-time job, I didn’t have the energy to keep up that kind of commitment.

This year, however, I’m pondering. “Can I find it in myself to write the approximate length of a novel?” “Better yet, can I do it in a month’s time?”

I now have a set schedule, which gives me eight more hours a week to work with this year, but it isn’t my job that would stand in the way this time. Having a set schedule is wonderful, but it was set in such a way that would now allow me to attend family functions, holidays, parties, etc. Not that I’m complaining, mind you! I’m thrilled beyond words that I’ll be able to spend more time with my family! It’s just that this event couldn’t have picked a worse month!

Can I write the approximate length of a novel in one month? Yeees… (Please note, that should sound hesitant.) I wrote TRaFoJR in less than three months, but that book was only a novella. It’s sequel took around eight months, five if you subtract the HUGE rewrite I had to make due to a computer crash, and was only 28k words longer.

My plans for this book are much more grand than those of the previous books. I’m not only tying up several loose ends, but I’m introducing two huge characters, one whom has been built up from the very beginning! The story has grown, along with characters, and I’m anticipating the word count to be a bit more than the first two books put together!

Currently, my work on J.R. Van Helsing, the third and final installment of the ‘Ballad of John Rizzerio’, has been tentative at best. I find myself working on promotions more often, as well as trying to strengthen connections I have made in social media. Last week, as my most loyal readers know, I put on a very eventful book signing. I sold a half a dozen books, but spoke with twice that number of interested, and interesting, folks. As a result of this night, I also made a couple of great connections, one, the result of which is me appearing on television for an interview about my work!

And yet, the question still haunts me. Even on this day, during which the dead will walk and we must wear our masks in order to remain hidden, I wonder if I can do it? Knowing that I will be giving up my days to attend family functions, only to lose sleep in the evenings, leaving me to work while locked in an epic battle with the Sandman.

Can I do it?

I don’t so much as intend to join the group as I want to at least accomplish the purpose of the event. I’m sure I would have a great community standing beside and behind me, valuable tools at my disposal and various other benefits from doing so, but I know that it will stretch me out a little too thin. At least, this year it will. Hopefully, by this time next year, I won’t have to work at my part-time job and will be in a position where I will have more time to focus on something new.

I can only hope.

For now; I know that regardless of what I decide, before this day is over, I will continue to do the one thing I most enjoy. I will remain focused on my passion for spinning a good yarn. I’m currently wrapping up the final touches to my upcoming short story, Trespasser, and I have mapped out the last posts of each of my webseries. When I’m not working on my website stories, I’m continuing to add to my current book, as well as to the book following shortly behind it..

In the very least, I will still be meeting my current goals, and that’s all that I can hope for.

50k words in one month?

Let me think on it for a bit longer. As for tonight? Tonight I must don my own mask and celebrate the festivities of Samhain, and I pray…I pray that the dead do not take notice.

Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Sure, I know the story. You just wrote your first book(s) and you think you are ready to get it published. Of course you do! You just spend hundreds (thousands?) of hours pouring your heart and soul into your work. Nothing could possibly be wrong with it, right?

Of course not, because you are perfect in every way and in everything that you do. You never make any mistakes and whenever you put your mind to doing something, you do it right every…

BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

*ahem*

I’m sorry, that was just positively rude of me, now wasn’t it…?

Seriously though, you should really go back over your work. Do it a little at a time, or all at once, but above all else, just do it okay?

Listen. I know the feeling. You’ve just created this fantastic world and it’s chocked full of originality you are literally itching to share. But here’s the thing. It’s not done yet. Go on, take a look. I promise you that you’ll find my words to ring true!

No matter how careful you are, you are going to make mistakes. Hell, maybe you’ve made a few! If you are anything like me, you write to keep up with the flow of the story. In that case, you’re going to find that you made a lot more mistakes than you thought (possible).

You see, the funny thing about writing; once you get in the groove, you are only going to see the words that your imagination is supplying you. You may think you wrote them correctly, but in truth, you are only seeing what you want to. Go on…see for yourself.

Really. How many times must I poke and prod at you?

Read it over with a critical eye. You’ll be surprised at what you find. Then, when you are done? Do it again.

Okay, so maybe it sounds like I have a little experience with this. The truth is; I’m no more experienced than any other kickstart writer! Sure, I do have a novella and its novel sequel published, but that doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly become a master of the literary arts!

On the contrary, I’m still learning something new every day.

My most recent flub came with an update of my novel; The Hunter Reborn. I had made some changes to the manuscript and added in some new content. What I hadn’t done was go back over the work I had completed. If I had, I would have found that I had done all of this to an older version. And you know what happened next? I somehow saved it over the newest version, which was the edited and completed edition that I had used for publish.

…..

I know, right?

But, here’s the thing. It could have easily been avoided, IF, I had gone back over my work beforehand!

A critical eye, I tell you. Dig that sumbitch out of that dusty ole corner of your mind, fasten it right in the center of your forehead and really analyze your work.

Okay, so maybe you DID get all errors taken care of. Maybe you DON’T have any grammatical mishaps floating around and maybe, just MAYBE you have perfectly punctuated your every sentence. Great! That’s awesome!

But I bet you think of a different way to describe something along the way, thus improving or adding to the richness of your work!

One of the hardest things to do with your work is not finishing it, but rather, being able to know when you are done. That, is the real trick.

And to tell you the truth, I don’t think a writer’s work is ever done. Sometimes you just have to know when to walk away as well.

Either way, it’s never after you are finished writing. Trust me, your work has only just begun.