I’ve never done this before. When I first heard of NaNoWriMo, I scoffed at it. A mere 50k words make a novel? Please! But over the years, I’ve let go of my writing snobbery, and I’ve begun to recognize NaNoWriMo for what it really is: a chance for writers of all types to sit down and really get the words out, just to prove they can, or maybe to get a jumpstart on a project that would languish otherwise.

But most of all, it’s to have fun.

I’m a competitive sort, and when a friend of mine mentioned she was seriously considering NaNoWriMo this year, I started thinking about it. When she started egging me on, I looked at my project that I started earlier this year, that I got fantastic feedback for earlier this month, and realized this might be the jumpstart I need. It’s not a normal novel for me: it’s not science fiction, it’s not fantasy. It’s the here and now. It’s about my backyard, geographically speaking. It’s about the mountains and music and madness.

And I have to say, I’m looking forward to discovering it.

If you’re on the site, feel free to add me and follow my progress, cheer me on, and let me cheer YOU on if you are also embarking on this crazy journey! While Ghostcatcher is not my first novel, it is the first one I’ve attempted to write for NaNoWriMo. It’s also the first novel I’ve attempted to write on a laptop. So let’s just say I’m feeling very, very green.

November’s almost here! If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, are you ready? Feel free to send me links to your pages, and tell me about your projects!

But in the meantime, Happy Halloween!