Aided by the counsel of my good friend Duane, I’ve decided to take the leap into actually writing a novel instead of merely intending to write one. The National Novel Writing Month — conveniently contemporaneous with “November” on the calendar — provides aspiring novelists a loosely structured environment for pulling together a work of fiction of 50,000 or more words.

So far, so good. I’ve registered an account and posted my introductory message in the Ottawa County/Grand Rapids local forum. Yay. I’ve done a bit of initial planning, but still have some work to go before I’m ready to actually put prose to e-paper.

It helps to have a firm plot concept in mind. The narrative, the major characters, the setting — it’s all in my mind’s eye, which marks a point of departure from my previous tinkering with fiction work.

Next steps include finishing my plot grid and character studies. I figure I’ll be ready to actually write on Thursday. I’m excited. Even if I’m not successful, I’m glad for the opportunity to hone my craft of writing.