Writing a novel in a month
It's National Novel Writing Month! This time I'm taking it seriously.
I started writing novels in 2006 for National Novel Writing Month. It’s where you write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
My first try was “Sixty,” which I finished but rewrote and published as a real, live, novel on Amazon last year. I plan to release the paperback version in December.
I started other novels along the way: An untitled book in 2008; “Nine Days on the Water” in 2014; “A Dog’s Life” in 2017; my zombie thriller “Doe” in 2019 and again in 2021, and finally, “Trial of the Heart” last year. I’ll be finished with this one at the end of this month.
Affectionately known as NaNoWriMo, it has been a great resource for me — inspiring me, keeping me going, even if I didn’t finish the novel. I’ll pick up “Doe” again next year and I really need to get back to “Water” because it’s a fantasy and I don’t usually write those.
Where are you in your writing career/hobby/stage? Call it whatever you like, writing can be a form of encouragement, inspiration, therapy for many of us. But keep going!
I’ll let you know how I’m doing in this year’s NaNoWriMo. It’s not too late to start! To make 50,000 words by Nov. 30 you have to write 1,667 words a day. If you start now you’ll need to make up some words, but hey, 50,000 is an arbitrary number. Do what you feel!
About “Doe”: I did publish my zombie thriller (with romantic elements) on Kindle Vella. Vella is closing next year, so I will begin publishing episodes of “Doe” right here in February 2025! It will be for paid subscribers only, and you can subscribe for as low as $5 a month.
Paid subscribers also will get access to e-versions of “Sixty” and the sequel, “Trial of the Heart,” which will go live Dec. 1.
Free subscribers will continue to get great content as usual. But if you’d like to support my writing, check it out here!
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Books by Yvette Walker
And pre-order the sequel, “Trial of the Heart,” here!
Yvette Walker is a journalist, educator and the founder of Positively Joy Ministries. Her ministry supports this blog, a podcast, publishing her many books and opportunities to share the message of joy as a speaker.
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