NaNoWriMo 2022 is coming! Yes, November is National Novel Writing Month and I’m participating again. This year, I’m writing a middle-grade fantasy called THE HAUNTED CAROUSEL. It’s part of the Brass Ring Series, which includes THE MAGIC CAROUSEL (formerly Rust Boy and the Brass Ring) and THE CHRISTMAS CAROUSEL.

The goal for NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words of a novel in a month.

Past Efforts

In NaNoWriMo 2020, I met the 50,000-word goal with a women’s fiction called POISON PEN FRIENDS. I kept writing in December and added another 20,000 words. The manuscript is complete, but needs editing. I wrote a series of posts about this particular NaNoWriMo project. Click here for the first one and here for the final one in the series.

For NaNoWriMo 2021, I wrote a fairy tale entitled A DRESS TO REMEMBER, which totaled 35,000 words. While I didn’t meet the NaNoWriMo goal, I wrote what the story called for. This manuscript is undergoing final revisions and will be independently published in 2023. Brandon Dorman, a talented illustrator, is working on the cover and internal illustrations. This manuscript is a Finalist in the Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards as an unpublished Young Adult fiction. Winners will be announced on October 29, 2022.

NaNoWriMo 2022

THE HAUNTED CAROUSEL tells the story of 12-year-old Rusty, who goes to Horror Night at his town’s Fall into Halloween Festival. What was intended to be a fun evening with his best friend turns into a scary adventure when they meet the ghost of a carousel operator and must solve the mystery of the haunted carousel. To complicate matters, Rusty’s sister has gone missing too!

I’ve spent October getting ready for NaNoWriMo 2022 by researching various spooky and scary stories. This included Dracula, the headless horseman, werewolves, gargoyles, bats, ravens, scarecrows, and the Hunchback of Norte Dame. One of the highlights of the month was visiting a Halloween store and looking at all the creepy costumes.

Watch for updates on THE HAUNTED CAROUSEL in November, as I report on my progress. In the meantime, if you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my newsletter for other writing updates.