Northport, Alabama

Writing a novel teaches you things. Characters’ lives change when you least expect it. They make bad decisions. They make worse decisions. They cry and laugh and drink too much and sleep with people you don’t want them to sleep with. If you’re not careful, they spend a lot of time standing around talking about what they’re going to do, but never actually lift a finger. And just when things are going well, something major knocks them down. It’s hard to let happen, to allow them to hurt, to cry, to bleed, but it’s good for your book and its good for them — it builds character and gives your characters a purpose.

NaNoWriMo Wordcount: 14,614/50,000

Music: I’ll Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie (lyrics)