No #NaNoWriMo

Sorry – No #NaNoWriMo For Me This Year

It’s November! November 1st, 2020 to be exact!

We have had one hell of a year, am I right? Pandemic, murder hornets, Trump, role models passing away. I think we can all collectively say that 2020 is among the worst years in history. The list expands to book and magazine publishers, too.

More and more people are out of work, including publishing house employees and others – limiting queries, submissions, launching of new projects.

That’s partially why I am choosing to opt-out of doing #NaNoWriMo or “National November Writing Month” where you must write a complete novel in 30 days or less.

This would have been my first time participating but alas other life issues have gotten in the way. Running a business, being a single dad, to use a couple of examples. I’ll be frank, I had to seek out “COVID-19 Rental Prevention Assistance” and more from my county. The kind of feeling I had walking through their doors, I never want my daughter to ever feel in her lifetime.

And in October, I was diagnosed with minimal to moderate Autism. This is more commonly known as “high-functioning” Autism. Let’s pile that diagnosis on top of all other things I have been medically diagnosed with. Safe to say, this latest diagnosis came as both a shock and as something strangely validating. It’s validating because it helps me put together missing pieces of a puzzle called my adolescence.

In the midst of all the death, chaos, destruction, and good times, I managed to write a new children’s book, aimed towards third-graders. Recently, I came into possession of many books of varying genres, including children’s & picture books. 

This latest manuscript is inspired by Joanne Ryder’s “Hello, First Grade” book – pictures by Betsy Lewin. Right now, I am in the editing stages of the book – hoping to submit the manuscript to a local children’s & picture book publisher.

This book is absolutely adorable in every sense of the word.

It takes the reader back to a time when experiencing something as daunting such as the first grade can actually be quite a lot of fun and memorable. I highly recommend you buy this book for either yourself or if you have a first grader or soon-to-be first grader.