Since I've written short crime fiction for numerous anthologies, creating my first novel has been a journey. After writing short stories for
so long, I wasn't convinced I could write a book, even though I've always
wanted to. I'm so accustomed to making every word serve a purpose in a short
story that I started to doubt my ability to write a novel. Before writing short
stories, I wrote business articles for the Virginian Pilot newspaper, which
were also brief. Of course, writing shorter content is what I know best,
having spent many years as a corporate reporter with a word count
limit.
However, I decided to take the plunge into novel writing.
Though not as daunting as I had assumed, the variations in word count,
character count, and more in-depth descriptions were a learning experience.
Since most of my short stories occur in the Outerbanks of North Carolina, a
popular destination for weddings and beach vacations, I decided to use that as
the backdrop. Because I was familiar with the location, writing was easier. The
book features Cass Kennedy, the story's protagonist, who inherits a vintage
motel from her brother after he passes away suspiciously. Cass soon discovers that
the motel, which her brother had promoted as a top wedding location, was
anything but.
Ultimately, I remained goal-oriented and set reasonable
expectations during the process. This allowed me the time and research I needed
to complete each chapter and finish the novel with solid checkpoints.
