This is my 12th year participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Crazies like myself set the goal of writing 50,000 words in one month. Not just any 50,000 words, but arranged in a novel or a series of short stories. Or whatever. I figured in all I have 10 separate manuscripts. Three have been published by me. Two are in advanced revision stages. I know several will not see the outside world as a published book.

This year, I’m being a NaNo rebel and I’m advancing last year’s story instead of starting a brand new one. The Briefly Visible Life of Theodora Mott is what I’m hoping will be slightly autobiographical in that the main character is a person of size, as am I. In other words, it’s about a fat woman. An #OwnVoices sort of thing. There will be/won’t be/may be other similarities to my life. It’s set in Arizona. My published books have scenes in Arizona but are mainly set in other states.

Here’s a link to my NaNo Projects page that lays out my projects over the years: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/azteri/projects

Something special about this year is that I was interviewed about NaNo by Tom Maxedon at KJZZ, a public radio station here in Phoenix. I also participated in the Local Authors Fair at the Barton Barr Central Library in downtown Phoenix. Here’s a link you read and/or listen to. There will be a podcast later this week. http://kjzz.org/content/1286131/nanowrimo-inspires-arizona-authors-all-month?fbclid=IwAR1qxVdFIcBqE-xq8s-7nMtYjpUMjbM_9eGeUell_EIRPh3j7ZQnNtzg2mY

Above is me at the Local Authors Fair with Zook’s Corner. I only sold one book, but damn it, I said hello to people first. And it was fun to talk about the book and Mennonite culture with a few folks. I was exhausted the next day. Hit me up for a bookmark.

As far a NaNo 2019, I feel like I’m struggling a bit this year with Thea’s story. It’s overall been a poor writing year for me. I made very slow progress on Book 3 of Lilyland but it picked up in September when I started going out writing with a group of other people. But then, I realized something I absolutely had to change, so I had to go backward. And now with NaNo here, it’s stopped. For a month.

Anyway, about Thea, I hope to get her story in gear. She has some exciting things ahead to knock her out of her (dis)comfort zone. Internet fame. Romance. And a dog or two.