As NaNoWriMo barrels down upon writers everywhere (National Novel Writing Month, for those of you unfamiliar with the madness), I have one goal in mind: finish last year’s project, Silence the Siren.

Book two of the Beast Hunter series.

I’m so close, you guys. So close.

Every time I think I have a coherent story, I find a plot hole or a doubled or tripled scene (a scene I wrote several times over, because it wasn’t quite right, which is so fun to find when I think I’ve found them all).

I am so close to victory, I can taste it.

Why has it taken me over a year to self-edit (yes, my editor will have eyes on this when it’s ready) when I wrote over 112,000 words of the story last November?

I am a freelance editor. I am the acquisitions editor for L2L2 Publishing. I approve files and coordinate with the L2L2 team and spend the bulk of my day working on projects for L2L2 and other authors.

We’re deep into making sure everything is in place for the 2020 production schedule, and it’s all I can do to find time for anything else right now.

I travel all over the U.S., hearing pitches from lovely authors who have their own writing dreams, encouraging them to reach for the stars and hone their craft.

And that’s just my professional life. Let’s not even dig in to the personal side of things.

So to have an almost-complete manuscript of my very own work is driving me absolutely crazy!

I’m almost there! If only I could work on it more than an hour or two a day. Sigh.

But this is not me complaining. Oh, no. This is me telling you that if I can write a 112,000-word novel (Down by 12,000 words! Woohoo!) in the midst of the madness that is my life, so can you.

Did you hear me?

So. Can. You.

Sit down, every spare moment you have, and write.

Scribble down ideas in the school pickup line.

Order groceries through your store’s online pickup so you have 30 minutes to an hour more of your day.

Join a weekly writers group (Go Thursday Night Dream Big Writers!) or a critique group so you not only have time to write, you also have other, more advanced writers (hopefully published) who can look over your work and encourage your strengths and help develop your weaknesses.

Do whatever works for you, whenever it works for you, and don’t let your crazy-busy life be the excuse for not following your dreams.

If I can do it, so can you.

Love you all!

In Him,

Michele