Continuing my streak of 2013 being The Year of Doing Things I Always Said I’d Do (to date: half marathon, master’s degree, dream job, dream town), I am totally on fire to complete a novel in November.

I’ve been growing an idea for awhile, and starting doing some research at the start of the month. That set off a spark of character concepts, which led to more research, and now to an outline of the first part of the book. I’m getting a sense of the “feel” which is a horror/urban fantasy vibe. Not surprising, I guess, given what I read and think about and appreciate as art.

The novel is currently without a title because I haven’t found one I like. That may be more obvious as I write it. Basically, I have a former lawyer/skeptic who decides to retire from the law and start a B&B in Astoria. She quickly discovers that not only is she sharing the B&B with Mags, her partner, but also with the ghost of a Victorian era Columbia River bar pilot who has been charged with the responsibility of piloting lost souls across the River of Life and Death.

The research is fascinating and leads to more and more research. I wake up in the middle of the night with great ideas. And while I’m excited about getting started, I’m also enjoying the planning phase. I find I’m moving from being a “pantser” (someone who doesn’t do much planning or research) to a “planner” and that it’s calming all kinds of anxiety for me. The more I plan, the more it takes a shape I feel capable of writing.

So anyhoo, if you’d like to be a NaNoWriMo writing buddy, please add me! And whether you do or don’t, prepare for lots of … er… writing about the process of writing.