Write a Novel in 40 Days

A crazy idea? Or the way I’m finally going to publish my memoir?

Hey, I’m Becky. And if you haven’t read a single word of anything else I’ve ever written, I’m glad you’re reading this.

I’m on a mission to write a novel in 40 days.

I always knew I was a writer but for the longest time, I didn’t think I could write. There’s sometimes a disconnect between what we’re capable of and what we actually end up doing. For over a decade, I taught people how to write. I studied the canon, I over-analyzed metaphors, and I graded other people’s words. You know the saying, “those that can’t do teach”? Yeah, well, that was me.

And then, as they say colloquially, shit hit the fan.

In 2020 the world was going through a pandemic. I was quitting jobs, going to therapy, coming out of the closet, and breaking out of my polyamorous marriage. I hate to say I one-upped Covid 19, but I do fancy myself quite the overachiever when it comes to chaos causing.

My first picture in my new apartment after moving on from my marriage.

So now, here I am, staggering back into reality 2 years later. I’m trying to piece back the puzzle of how this all happened. Right now they all exist in small little short stories in my head, missing that common theme I think I need to launch myself into my next life chapter. But, unfortunately, as I’ve learned through this debacle- the only way out is through. Or in my therapist’s smug voice, “You have to feel it to heal it”. (God I hate that)

And like the masochist I am, I’ve decided to write the whole thing out in the next 40 days. Starting on my 35th birthday (May 1st, 2022), I’ll string these short narratives together into something that will either be my magnum opus or a chaotic collection of shitty words. But to be honest, I’m not doing it for anyone but myself. This isn’t about being published or making bank or writing the next great American novel. This is just about a girl who doesn’t want to repeat the same story all over again by missing the lessons from her own last chapter.

If you care to join me on my insane journey to crank out my life’s work, I’m going to try to update here on Medium and on TikTok about my progress. It’s going to be messy, there will be tears, and at the end, there will be a novel. I promise myself this.

If you made it this far, I love you already. Thanks for coming with me.