See, I am a normal person. Really, I am. Yes, I have a propensity to create stories based on paranormal creatures, generally pulled from myths and legends and then modified, with my own take. But, when all is said and done, I am normal and … errr … sane. So why do I do it? Why do I expose myself to the trauma of NaNoWriMo?

The intention starts of really well. This year, I even went as far as to have a plan for my story that I wanted to write, so imagine me giving myself a ‘high five’. Go, Jo! But the thing is I work full time, and my job involves a lot of driving. So, there came the first day when I was just too tired to think of writing. And another. And another.

Then I realised that I had to write something like 5000 words over the course of a weekend. But, it seemed that salvation was at hand. Dictation software. I saw other people talking about dictating their novels. That sounded like a cool idea. It turned out that the manufacturer of said software offered a 30 day free trial. Even better. Thirty days and I would have finished NaNoWriMo. I tried using my Bluetooth headset and the computer microphone to record. Bad plan. No problem, I thought, buying myself a decent Plantronics headset.

Full steam ahead! Or not. Last week, I drove 900 miles in three days: 420 on day 1, 205 on day 2 and the rest at the end of the week. Then I went to the Foodie Festival in London on the Saturday, and the MCN Live Motorbike show on Sunday. The latter was for research, honestly. I wanted to use Ducati bikes in my novel, so I needed to be sure I had the right bike. Sorted that one after talking to the Marketing Manager on the Ducati stand.

But what did it all mean for my NaNoWriMo entry, when a scant nine days remain of the month. The fact that I am writing a blog post and not writing my NaNoWriMo entry probably says it all.

I think that is a big fat “Ooops!”, don’t you? Can I still make it? That’s 21,295 words to write before I have reached the magic total of 50,000. That works out as 2,366 words per day for the next nine days.

There’s one other thing that I have done, which hasn’t made it easier for myself. Remember that plan that I had, the one where I wanted to give myself a pat on the back for not being my usual ‘pantser’ self? Well, I decided to change things slightly. A story which started off as a recollection of what made one of my characters into the Psycho that everyone believed him to be became much more introspective and that was really hard work.

I like to think that my characters talk to me. But this was an adult male character, explaining why he had acted the way that he had and really considering whether he made the right decisions along the way. My stories are based around him being able to see timelines and how those timelines might evolve. Knowing that your decision could lead to the death of another is never going to be easy, and trying to prise those emotions from someone who became accustomed to hiding his feelings? Well, I can think of a lot of things which are easier on the brain, such as climbing the North Face of the Eiger.

Okay, so that might be an exaggeration. To return to my original question, if I know I work long hours, if I know that writing a book never quite turns out the way it was planned, then why do I do this to myself?

Well, some stories need to be told, and often, it is the ones which are the most enlightening which are also the hardest to write. Is it an exercise in writing? I don’t know. Perhaps it is. Is it a necessary exercise, if that is the case. I would have to say, yes. Continuity in a novel is important. Understanding what lead a major character to act the way that he did, watching as the character slowly works out the reasons behind his actions. All this is a very fulfilling process.

Hard work it may be. I might not finish by 30th November. But, in the process, I will have gained some invaluable insights into a major character. That makes it all worthwhile. I will close with a graphic from Mandy Eve Barnett’s blog, because it did make me laugh …

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS IN THE DIARIES OF THE CWN ANNWN

“Bound”, Volume 1 of The Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn
Amazon.com $0.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQFBNY
Amazon.co.uk £0.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016TQFBNY
Smashwords.com £0.00 (Free): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589130

What is the scariest thing when one realises that you would like to write? It is that “Omigosh!” feeling, the one where you ask yourself, can you write? Should you write? Will people want to read what I have written? You look at the news stories on the various book prizes and you think, “That’s not the sort of thing I do, so I can’t be any good.”

My own approach is that I have self-published my own books, born of a love of reading, and a crazy idea of a story which I wanted to tell. Well, that and far too many nights in hotels on business with my present job. Someone asked me how many books I had sold. Not many, I know, but what I also know is that I am not going to allow myself to be hung up on that. I know that there are people who like my writing. I have people who have followed my writing online, and that’s great.

But, you have to start somewhere. This is the story of another person’s journey, starting out, testing the water. Who knows where it might lead? But the important thing is that, if you don’t try, like Katie Sweet, you will never know.

So where did Katie start out? From our chats, she reckons her defining moment was 1991, when she was in 5th grade, because that was the year that she fell in love with reading. Her preferred genre is fantasy, driven by her dreams. I can understand that, since it is similar for me. Let’s face it, our dreams are the doorway to our imaginations.

But, then came the practicalities of life. As a History Professor, academic writing is what she does. The old adage from my own science background applies to her as well: publish or disappear into obscurity. But writing papers requires research which requires time … There goes the dream.

Or does it?

With the encouragement of an old friend, Katie joined a fantastic group on Facebook called the Kosher Critique Crew, run by Kel Nichols. The group was established to provide a sounding board for people who wanted to write, but who wanted feedback. Was their writing up to scratch? Overly harsh criticism, whilst necessary in a hard world of professional publishing, could result in turning dreams into ashes.

By her own admission, Katie will pluck up the courage one day to make her dream of publishing her fantasy writing a reality. But that will come, when time permits her to devote more time to what she feels is a hobby.

So, and this was the reason for this ramble, help Katie see that her writing has merit, and that she is already making those first steps. The Kosher Critique Crew recently ran a Hallowe’en themed short story ‘competition’. Katie was the proud winner.

Click on the this link, which will take you to a file containing her story on my own Facebook page. Have a read, and please, do leave her some comments. Help her to grow, and help her to realise that a dream can be a reality.

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS IN THE DIARIES OF THE CWN ANNWN

“Bound”, Volume 1 of The Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn
Amazon.com $0.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQFBNY
Amazon.co.uk £0.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016TQFBNY
Smashwords.com £0.00 (Free): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589130