November is National Novel Writing Month

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

November is National Novel Writing Month. I have my outline done, the characters alive in my head, and words ready to hit the paper. The goal? Write 50,000 words from November 1st until November 30th. What does this mean? Well... between Nanowrimo, work, and family you may not hear from me much :)

Have a wonderful month and I'll try to post once or twice!

-Mel

Damaged Goods, Preface

Damon,

I thought about you last night. Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. But last night I thought about that time at Nona’s farm, when we borrowed her fishing pole. All we wanted to do was catch dinner, to make her proud. What a nightmare that turned out to be. But even after I hooked my finger and sent her pole traveling nearly a mile down river, before we caught up to its mangled remains, you shouldered the blame. You marched into her tiny kitchen and announced that it was you who had broken it. Instinctively, you knew she’d blow a gasket if I copped to it. Even as kids, she so obviously adored you more, even though I was her family. You were so good, the best of everyone and everything. Better things in life was always a possibility when we were together. So lately, I’ve been wondering how it is life can derail someone? Just take then from their perch in life and drop them from a cliff. How it can lead you to believe you have it all and then, from out of nowhere, it’s gone; all of it - the good, the bad, the future. And the only happiness left lives in the past – a past that I will never again know. The one that died, the day you died.

Missing you forever,

Missy

Diving into a new story

So, this morning, I realized how deeply involved I become when writing a new story. I was on the train for nearly 30 minutes before I realized how much I had written (11 pages!). In fact, at the same time I looked up to read the exit sign, I felt the pang in my hand from the fierce writing I had done. I love that feeling. It's like the day after a hard workout at the gym - the good sort of pain.

Currently, I'm writing about Melissa May Clarke, a seventeen year old from a small town in New Mexico. Though she was a good girl, Missy's childhood was wrought with difficulties stemming from her mother's abuse of alcohol and revolving door of men. Her only serenity came in the form of her best friend, Damon. At least, he was her serenity until she witnessed his deadly fall from the McCulley Bridge.

Now, toting all of her memories in the suitcase at her feet, she heads to Las Vegas. But she soon realizes life away from home is scary and hard for a girl without any money, family or friends, and nowhere to live. Missy is quickly pulled into the scandalous world of teenage prostitution when she meets up with a 'family' of other homeless teens struggling to survive.