Total word count to date: 4,850. I’m giving it a strong kickoff because I know I won’t be able to maintain a fast pace. NaNoWriMo has been interesting so far, for a variety of reasons.

My friend, Glenna Jenkins, is on a whirlwind virtual blog tour. Check out her site for many posts of interest to writers and readers. I’ve read Glenna’s book, Somewhere I Belong, and found it a well-written historical young adult novel with appeal to adult readers, especially for those like me with connections to The Maritimes. Somewhere I Belong is well-deserving of the praise it’s been receiving.

For the first time, I’ve committed to National Novel Writing Month. I won’t be there for the Midnight Kickoff on Hallowe’en night, but the morning of Nov 1st I’ll begin my goal of writing 50,000 words during the month of November. I have been interested in NaNoWriMo for years, have encouraged others to look into it and the stars have finally aligned for my participation. November 1 was when I’d planned to plunge into my post-holiday writing and I feel a need for an outside boost.

Meanwhile, I’m wrapping up some pre-NaNo projects, including my blog series about my writing journey. The posts will continue to run weekly on this site until November 17th. Check out today’s entry about my second stab at murder.

Lethbridge Word on the Street was a great success on Sunday. Sunshine and warmth brought out the crowds, despite high winds that threatened to blow us into the coulee. I especially enjoyed meeting fellow writers and talking about real life police work with Lethbridge Sergeant Robin Klassen during our presentation to an enthusiastic audience.

I loved Alistair Macleod’s novel, No Great Mischief, which used Calgary as a metaphor. The book made me realize I’d become a Calgarian when my loyalty bubbled up at his not so positive use of the word ‘modernistic’ to describe the city.

When I finished my novel-in-progress at the end of August, I found myself on memory lane, taking stock of my writing journey-to-date.  The result is a series of 12 blog posts, which will appear each Tuesday until Nov 17th. Today is installment # 3, Exodus – Part Two.  Here’s the full schedule.

Sept 1       Genesis

Sept 8       Exodus – Part One

Sept 15     Exodus – Part Two

Sept 22     A Stab at Murder

Sept 29     A Book!

Oct 6         Moving On

Oct 13       Critique

Oct 20      My Short Story Binge

Oct 27      A Second Stab at Murder

Nov 3       Mystery, Suspense & Surprise

Nov 10     Raising the Stakes

Nov 17      How to Write a Novel in Your Spare Time

Lethbridge Word on the Street, Sunday, Sept 20th.

I’m looking forward to Word on the Street on Sunday, September 20th, in Lethbridge, AB. I’ll be at the Crime Writers of Canada table and participating in two events.

At 1:00 PM, I emcee Grab a Coffee with Killer Some Writers, featuring readings and conversations with mystery authors David A. Poulsen, Garry Ryan and Sharon Wildwind. At 2:00 PM, at It’s Not CSI: A police sergeant and mystery writer’s perspectives, Police Sergeant Robin Klassen and I discuss how a mystery writer approaches writing about crime and police work, what the day to day life of a police officer is like and how fact and fiction differ.

When I’m not at presenting or at the CWC table, I’ll be checking out the festival’s featured guests: Kelley Armstrong, author of numerous fantasy and paranormal books, Maureen Jennings, author of the popular Murdoch Mysteries series and Sharon Johnston, wife of our Governor General, who will recount the struggles of veterans adjusting to life in Canada after WWI.

Let’s hope for warm, sunny weather and a fabulous turnout at this sixth year of the Lethbridge festival.

Last weekend’s When Words Collide writers and readers conference was a blast. I took in activities for three days, but managed to pace myself so that I didn’t feel exhausted at the end. I sat on two panels, read from my short story in the crime writing anthology, AB Negative, stayed up past my bedtime for two parties and attended numerous sessions where I picked up tips and insights into writing and publishing. I’ve already registered for next year – only $45 if you sign up by December.

Calgary’s When Words Collide writing conference is less than a week away. I’ll be sure to get there in time for the keynote addresses on Friday night (August 14th). These are always a great introduction to the conference’s special guests and are sometimes quite creative. If I’m up to it, I’ll stay on for the Noir Bar Evening Social in the hotel’s Boomtown Lounge.

My events are all scheduled for Saturday, August 15th. At noon, I’ll be moderating a panel on Does the Mystery Protagonist Drive the Novel? – my first experience as a panel moderator. At 2:00 PM, I’ll be reading from my short story “Freezer Breakdown” at the book social for the Alberta crime anthology, AB Negative. Then at 3:00 PM, I’m on a panel that will discuss Thrillers vs. Traditional Mysteries. Again, if my energy sustains I’ll attend the Crime Writers Fandango party that evening.

For the rest of the weekend, I’ll be free to chat with people I run into, browse the booksellers’ tables and attend sessions that strike my fancy. I’ve looked at the WWC  program and, as always, it will be hard to choose from the varied and exciting offerings.