Tomorrow is November, National Novel Writing Month. This year, for the first time, I’m doing it.

I will begin work on the sequel to Mosquito Wings, which I’m tentatively calling The Minesweeper Diaries. I’m nervous to start this project. For one thing, writing a novel in one month is a feat, even if you do nothing else with your time. I teach a class of honors students at VCU, plus I’m attending a short fiction workshop and a screenwriting class. The demands on my time aren’t huge, but it will still be difficult, if not impossible, to finish The Minesweeper Diaries in one month.

The other thing that makes me nervous is that Mosquito Wings has not sold yet. That shouldn’t be a big worry. After all, it hasn’t even been two months since my agent and I sent it off. Sometimes it takes a book six months to sell, sometimes a year, sometimes even longer.

But let’s say no editors are interested in Mosquito Wings. That means I have to write a new novel and try again. I’m totally fine with that. Not every author is able to sell the first book they write. It’s common, in fact, that the first book you sell is actually the second or third book you write. I’m willing to try something else if Mosquito Wings doesn’t work. It’s just scary to start on a sequel when the fate of the first book is so unclear.

On the other hand, if I hear in a few months that an editor is ready to buy my book, it will feel great to have a rough draft of the sequel already finished. So I’m going for it. Plus, I’ve always wanted to do NaNoWriMo.

I haven’t done much in the way of preparation. I know the time frame of the novel: three months in a combat deployment wherein my main character, Roman Sherwood, serves as the mine sweeper for his squad. (See my previous post.)

I’ve thought about the subject matter a good bit. I know how the novel will open. But I don’t know how it will end, and I haven’t outlined. I suspect that my lack of preparation will hurt me, and I encourage you, if you’re a writer doing NaNoWriMo, to make an outline, even a simple one. Do as much prep work as possible. Don’t be like me.

I believe I get my best ideas in revision, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t prewrite, research, and outline. This semester has just been a tough one, and November 1^st seemed to arrive out of nowhere. You may be able to tell from the sloppiness of this blog post how wiped out I am right now, before the challenge has even begun. I’m not sure where I get the idea that I’ll be able to write a whole novel in the middle of my other responsibilities in only 30 days. I’ll probably rely on a few well-timed bouts of “food poisoning” when I need some extra time.

Anyway–I’m so excited to start this project. Just yesterday, I realized October was ending, and that it was finally time to write the first words of a new novel. My muscles tensed up and I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s like I’m packing for a 30 day road trip, and I have no idea where I’ll be when those 30 days end.

Next Tuesday, beloved readers, I’ll give you an update on my progress. Wish me luck.

Nolan