How The Funeral Dress Inspired Me to Write A Novel This November

Confession: I have not read The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore, the From Left to Write October book club selection.

I fully intended to when I signed up to read it and write a post inspired by it.  But, between writing assignments, book reviews and motherhood, I haven’t had a chance to even crack the spine.

The Funeral Dress is about a young mother who takes it upon herself to sew a dress for her mentor when that woman suddenly dies. There was something about the plot and the small town setting that stirred a story in me. So, I’ve decided to participate in my second National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November.

For years, I have been talking about writing a novel. Just talking about it. For. Years. I’ve started several, and by started I mean I’ve written a page or two here and there. The most fiction I ever wrote was 75 pages for a grad school class seven years ago.

That novel is still languishing unfinished.

This November, I am going to write 50,000 words of a novel.  I’ve partnered with a friend who is also working on a book (although, not a novel) and I’ve committed to writing an outline and mapping out a writing strategy by the end of October.

I’ve decided to stop talking about writing a novel — and reading, for the moment — and start writing. There’s no other way to get it done. I still plan to read The Funeral Dress but it’ll have to wait until after November.

Will you help keep me accountable?

 Join From Left to Write on October 15 as we discuss The Funeral Dress: A Novel (Amazon Affiliate link). As a book club member, I received a copy of the book for free.