NaNoWriMo 2014: Cover Me--I'm Going In

I have developed an annual tradition over the last several years that takes place the last week in October. I like to call it the "Pre-NaNoWriMo Freak Out." It's the last few days before National Novel Writing Month begins, when I convince myself that this is the year I absolutely cannot take part in it due to the craziness of my life, and then proceed to sign up for it anyway.

Why? Because I need it. And I love it.

I love NaNoWriMo. I love the fact that it gets me writing every single day for a whole month--something I struggle to duplicate outside of NaNo events. I love the community around NaNoWriMo--the Twitter hashtags, the forum groups, and the endless stream of support that all NaNo participants give one another throughout the month. It makes me proud to be a writer.

Most importantly though, NaNoWriMo reminds me that I have to make time for my writing. There is no perfect time to write. I have a wife, two kids, a full-time job and I'll be coaching basketball as of next week. Participating in NaNoWriMo forces me to make time to write, even during the busiest time of the year. And that's why I need it.

Where I could have planned better this year was around edits and revisions for my next book, Lovecraft's Pupil. I'm finishing up edits now and designing the cover with my pal Jeff Rodgers (who did the covers for the previous two books in the Parted Veil series). That book should be releasing in late November or early December. Had I finished edits in September like I had planned, the book would be out by now, and I could focus my writing time squarely on NaNoWriMo. But on the plus side--I have a new book coming out soon!

And the nice thing about spending October with Lovecraft's Pupil is that it has put me back in the heads of those characters I adore so much, especially Fela and Connie. I love where their story is going next, and I cannot wait to write it.

So, while this time of year gets very stressful for me, it's also a time where I feel very connected to my writing, and to all of my writer friends.

So bring it on, November.