October is finished and November is moving fast . What does that mean for me? NaNoWriMo!

For me, November equals National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In fact, that is a big part of why my newsletter is late this month! You see, that's where I was discovered in 2013. I had finally decided to become serious about writing and dragged out the first novel I'd written nearly twenty years earlier. As I looked it over, I realized, it was AWFUL! I scrapped everything but the original premise, the idea that simply wouldn't let me go.

So I decided to write down a quick outline of the major plot points, which were few and far between, and when November 1st rolled around, I wrote a grand total of 2000 words. I was so proud of myself. And over the next two weeks, I quit, again.  I let life get in the way and managed to write a grand total of 6000 words in ten days (keep in mind that the NaNoWriMo goal is 1667 words per day or 50,000 in one month). I looked at how far behind I was and decided this just wasn't for me. I wasn't cut out to be a writer, in spite of the stories inside burning to get out.

For the next few days, I wallowed in grief, mourning the dream I was letting go of until my very wise husband asked me, "Why? Just because you don't hit the word count? Because you're a mom?" I realized I'd been making excuses during the past weeks. I didn't really want to let go of a dream I never gave myself a chance to achieve, never really tried. So I committed to getting as close to the 50,000 word goal as possible in the last two weeks.

Each night, I buckled down and wrote as much as I could until my eyes closed. I think I even wrote that way. At 11:51 p.m. on November 30th, I entered my word count for the month - 50,491 words. I proved to myself that I could not only write a novel in a month but I could write one in two weeks! And that's when I saw it...Avon Impulse wanted submissions of books written during NaNoWriMo. I finished the manuscript (which wasn't complete at 50,000 words) and polished it quickly, before secretly sending it in to Avon and promptly forgetting about it.

There was a lull, I had nothing else to write but I couldn't just sit now. I had to keep going. So, I decided to take another story I'd written and polish it, eventually self-publishing it. Once the holidays passed, I didn't know what to do with myself, so I decided to write a sequel to my self-published book. And then I got the email that changed my future.

Avon books informed me that of all the submissions they received, mine was the one they wanted. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. To say I was floored when they asked for a second book seems mild to the way I had to scoop my jaw from the floor.

Every day, as I sit at my computer and let the words pour out, I am grateful. For Avon, taking a chance on me. For NaNoWriMo, giving me the tools I needed to push myself. For my husband, not letting me bail out when I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. And my own pride, for being so stubborn that I didn't give up when every circumstance encouraged me to do just that.

Now, as October draws to a close, I am finishing Gage's story, my ninth novel for Avon since NaNoWriMo 2013, twelfth novel written (including my self-published series). And I will be participating in NaNoWriMo once again in November. Not because I need the push but because each year it reminds me of the impossible dreams that are possible.