PerNoWriMos

June 1st is rapidly approaching, and I am super excited to begin working on my newest novel. It has been quite a while since I’ve written a novel. I believe, the last full novel I wrote was Book Two of my Arkainian Chronicles, Blood Born. Book Three of this series, Blood Blessed, is what I have chosen to write for my personal novel-writing goal. If you read my last blog post, you know that NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has officially closed down. I had participated in NaNoWriMo for over fifteen years. I looked forward to November for that very reason. But now that it’s gone, I've decided to establish my own “Personal Novel Writing Months.” Plural. Maybe I could use the initialism PerNoWriMos to personalize the experience.

The goal of NaNoWriMo was to write 50,000 words in November. I almost always achieved that goal, but 50,000 words never completed my novel. I tend to write big books and rarely are my novels less than 100,000 words, so I made the decision to utilize two months for my PerNoWriMos. My personal goal is to write 100,000 words between June 1st and July 31st. I chose June and July mainly because nothing is really happening for me during those months, and I can dedicate the time needed for writing.
 
In addition to writing a new novel this year, I've made it my goal for 2025 to publish four of my backlog novels. The four I've chosen have already all been laid out, and I either have the copy to proof, or it has been ordered and will arrive soon.

Words come easy for me, as does the entire novel- writing process. I start with a good outline, and the ideas just flow from there. Quite often, the characters decide the direction of the story, and I have to chuck the first outline out the window and create a second, or third one. Writing is a fluid process, and once I get going, I can easily write 10,000 words in a day. Yes, my fingers get cramped from typing, but I make good progress on the book. Now, understand, I type with six fingers: both thumbs, both index fingers, and both middle fingers. That’s it. My ring fingers and pinky fingers are useless phalanges for my writing process, and I often struggle to get the words out on the screen as fast as my brain manufactures them. It can be frustrating at times, but I've managed so far.

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. ~ Isaac Isamov

My office is my creative bubble. I do my best thinking and writing in there. In the room with me are my many gargoyles. They keep me company and guard my office when I’m not there. I also have my collection of Lego modular buildings. I have every set released except the second one (which, for the record, I do not consider a proper modular building). I also surround myself with my art. I do acrylic paint pours and have adorned my ceiling with many of my paintings. The walls of the room are painted blue, which inspires tranquility and creativity. I usually light a scented candle appropriate to the story. Scent plays a significant role in many of my stories, since scent can trigger emotions, more so than visual stimuli. With the mood set and the good vibes flowing, the words just come naturally to me.

So wish me luck in my writing endeavor for my PerNoWriMos. By the end of July, I hope to have put a decent dent in Blood Blessed. I plan to continue writing until the book is done, and then I will spend time editing it and reading it to my favorite beta reader, my husband. He’s not normally a reader of romance books, but he's been kind enough to listen to almost all of mine and offer editing advice or other modifications he believes makes the story better. He's taken a particular liking to my Arkainian books. There’s just something quirky about my created race of aliens that tickles his fancy. The Arkainians are very literal, and they are often confused by English idioms. My husband isn't necessarily as literal as the Arkainians, but he does work with words for a living and enjoys exploring the ideas they convey.

I normally write a post on Facebook encouraging anyone who reads my post to join me in my journey, but to date, no one has. I've written those posts because I believe stories are meant to be shared. There are so many beautiful stories just waiting to be written. So if you’ve ever had a thought to write a book, now is the time. Take it from me: It will be such a rewarding experience to hold your book in your hands and to know someone else's life was touched by your imagination.

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