That I would find myself writing a novel. Yes, a novel.

It’s much more intimidating than writing a memoir. In a memoir, you stick to the facts. You share the experience and its outcome, and you hope that you have effectively encouraged someone to have a better outcome in their own life.

A novel…well. The sky is the limit in creativity. The line between reality and fantasy is easily blurred and crisscrossed. I have chosen to sprinkle in a few truths exaggerated so that they become untruths by the time you get to the period or exclamation point.

Writing a novel is liberating and exhausting. Creating and developing characters and giving them a narrative, a life lived, and a plot can be daunting, especially if you want to make sure it’s done cleverly.

So, here I go, taking risks and leaving it all on paper. Every idea, circumstance, villain, heroine. When I’m done, I hope the reader will be informed, educated, and slightly entertained. That is always my “why” in my writing.

Wish me luck on this new adventure.

It’s a wild one.