Preptober, Nanowrimo, and the end of 2021.

Prep-tober was difficult this year.

Last year I spent October researching vikings and their myths. This year I struggled to come up with an idea.

It wasn't until I was sitting in the car as my partner drove us four hours to a conference that he attended that a thought hit me for a new story.

Now I'm its November, also known as National Novel Writers Month. And I have gone from no idea to trying to write two novels. 😳 So I'm writing the sequel to The Witch of Fire and Shadows, which will be published sometime this year, as well as my new idea which we will for now call Mystery Novel.

If you follow me on Nanowrimo's site (https://nanowrimo.org/participants/brimooney) you may notice that one book has a word count in the tens of thousands while the other one...not so much.

This is the closest I've ever gotten to writer's block. It's been grueling. I've decided not to push it and to let it come as it does. There are manuscripts to edit, merch to design and about a million other indie self-publishing business tasks to complete. To be honest, I don't work well forcing myself to sit and ruminate on an idea. My brain, as an INTJ, is amazing at running those processes in the background. Any moment I'll have that 'ah hah' moment and be writing the damn book.

With November, Fall and the Holidays upon us, I'd also like to take a moment to note that this is the period of solitude and remembrance. With all that's occurred in the last two years, there are sure to be some souls close to you (or maybe yourself) who find themselves feeling secluded and alone. But you are not. I'm right here with you, sitting in my little patch of woods as my memory pulls forth all the souls I miss.

It's a great time to practice some self care. Eat a comforting meal. A soup, some autumn favorite dish or burger. Cuddle up with a book or show that connects you to the time and people you miss. Get some hot cocoa, light some candles. I'll be drinking some peppermint tea and going through my recent haul of gothic romance novels. Life is a wonderful thing.

Stay safe out there. And, as always, happy writing!