A New Year, a New NaNoWriMo!

All this week I have been sweating bullets, racking my brain, trying to find a story idea for NaNoWriMo. Last year I got an idea just a few days before November 1st. The year before that, I dreamed something that led me to a solid story idea just four days before November 1st. And the year before that I pushed it to October 30th waiting for an idea.

This morning, I woke up from a dream, hoping it would give me something but it was a total dud. Ugh. What was I to do? I’m no longer a fly-by-night pantser who can just write as November speeds along. I HAVE to have some kind of idea. I was freaking out.

So, I decided to go walking. It’s how I got last year’s idea, and it ended up being a good one. I walked up a huge hill (2.2) miles total and ended up coming down with a seriously excellent story. And I had a blast writing it. I didn’t have an ending at the time and by the last week of November I still didn’t know how it would end, but I eventually found it…it just came with the writing. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

I got up early and headed out to Iroquois Park to start climbing the hill. I came back down with not much of anything. A few tidbits here and there but nothing substantial and nothing I could work with, that’s for sure. I went home, bummed, but I had errands to do. After all my errands were completed, I decided to give it another shot. Back up the hill I went. (My fitbit was already praising my steps and my legs were definitely feeling it by then.)

By the time I reached the top of the hill this second time, I was still at a loss for ideas. I sat down and waded through my head, skimmed through some premade book cover ideas, and although I found some really nice images, nothing was coming. I decided to trek back down the hill. However, half way down, one of those images on the book covers was sticking out, like a popcorn kernel stuck between your teeth. You don’t know it’s there until you do and then you can’t do anything until you get it out.

Well, I got to the bottom and I had a small, very minute, idea. Guess what? BACK UP THE HILL I WENT! I couldn’t stop there. By the time I got up for the third time to the top of that hill I had an idea but needed to kick it around some more to get some of the guts to spill out. They did, a little bit. I sat at the top, again, for about thirty minutes, thinking. Then headed back towards my car. By the time I arrived, aching and grunting in pain, I had the basic premise for my 2015 NaNoWriMo story.

Here’s the scoop!

News Headline:   Where Are You, Juliet?

The bridge known as Romeo’s Bridge, a place where many propose to their loved ones, is now a place of mystery and death.

Tuttle County is devastated by the news of twelve deaths. Eleven students and one teacher committed suicide there late last evening. A suicide note was found, written by the young girls and their teacher explaining their deaths. Details of the letter are being kept secret due to investigation into their deaths. An anonymous resource has stated that there were supposed to be twelve girls, however only twelve bodies were found, leaving the mystery of the missing Juliet a question for all.

Is there in fact a 12^th girl? Ongoing investigation information pending.