Well, now you all know why I’ll be out of the loop in November. I’m fully participating in NaNoWriMo 2017, so that I can get back into the habit of writing fiction.

(Photo courtesy Clipart Library)

I’ve written a few books, but I’ve never published. I can’t tell you why I didn’t take the next step, other than the fact that I didn’t believe in my abilities. It’s funny: I can get on this blog, talk about pretty much anything that interests me, and I don’t feel shy about it. But my fiction, where people can actually read the worlds, characters, and scenarios that I create? It feels almost intrusive!

But the thing is, I have to publish my work. I believe in writing for your own satisfaction, first and foremost. But I think it’s powerful to make your words available for another person’s consumption: you never know who will be enlightened or inspired by what you have to say. No writer is required to publish, but it can be a “full circle” action for those of us that choose to do so.

I’m ready to come full circle. It’s time.

So this November, I’ll do NaNoWriMo, and in December, I’ll do my 3rd round of revisions for a previous book I wrote. In January, I’ll start on a new book, and in February, I revise a different book: one that I haven’t revised in a couple of years. I’ll stay on a “Write/Revise” rotation for the next few months, until I have a book that I feel is truly ready for the public (probably Summer 2018).

Are any of you participating in this year’s NaNoWriMo event? Or have you participated in the past? Let me know in the comments below: I’d love to hear your stories!