Good morning!  We’re back to regular business on Fridays with People with Passion interviews and guest posts!  I love this series; I get to share with my readers all the wonderful people who are coming my way with beautiful hobbies and authentic careers!  Today’s guest is Erin Madore, a fellow blogger with an amazing story of how her first novel is about to be born!  Aspiring writers and dreamers be warned: reading this will cause you to feel motivated enough to follow your own heart.  If at any time during this post you start to become aware of the thudding in your chest – just know it’s your soul trying to get your attention!  Be sure to check out Erin’s links at the bottom of this post so you can follow her journey to publishing.

Without further ado, please welcome Erin! 

Three or so years ago I was walking down the street and this vision of a young, determined teenage girl popped into my head. Amelia. Over the next several months she grew and developed into a character, and quickly a storyline and supporting characters manifested. As a storyteller I knew I had to let the plot simmer, let it grow organically. So rather than forcing a novel from the idea, I worked on my education.

Essentially, I created my own MFA program. I devoured books on writing, character development, plot, organization, publishing… Taking notes, highlighting, researching, brain storming. I wanted to take in as much as I could about the craft. It was my foundation. It provided me with confidence. Knowledge. Hope.

After finishing one particular book (Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass) I knew it was time for me to actually write. That day I felt ready. That day I dedicated myself to developing my craft. That was the day I wrote this sticky note:

It was also when I began believing in Amelia’s story and my novel. So, I signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). That was November 2011.

To say NaNoWriMo was crazy is an understatement. I literally spent the entire month attached to my laptop living in this story, this world that I created. In 30 days I wrote 51,250 words. In 30 days I wrote my entire novel. It still needed a lot of work, but it was there, it was a living-breathing document.

Danielle LaPorte doesn’t believe in balance. Rather, she believes in “proportion and harmony”, a give and take of time, focus, and energy. The November of NaNoWriMo was not balanced but it was brilliant. It was exciting, full of possibility and passion. It was when I put my novel first, my talent first, and it was exhilarating. During this time I began letting go of my Type A personality, my need for perfection, my need for control and replacing those traits with trust, belief and passion. Dishes sat in the sink. The laundry basket was over-flowing. My eyes were tired from staring at a computer screen. But I kept at it. My heart was completely invested. It was a time of growth, acceptance, possibility.

Since then I’ve hung onto my novel – sometimes more loosely than I would like. 2012 was a hard year for me and my novel – a lot of family and personal challenges made writing, editing, being creative hard. But sharing Amelia’s story with the world is important to me. So, I kept at it. Working on it whenever I found the time. Continuing my writing education. Meeting other writers. Joining writing groups. Learning how to self-publish.

I’m ecstatic to say the book is in its final stages – final round of edits, cover design, back copy, formatting, marketing – and it should be available this February or March. To be honest though, at this point the date doesn’t matter. I’ve come to realize that publishing this book is part of my journey, my destiny. It will happen when it’s meant to. And that’s part of the belief and trust I’ve picked up along the way.

It not only takes determination, passion and focus to write a novel, it also takes flexibility and a sense of humor. Thankfully there is never a day that goes by where I don’t want to write. I might not always work on my novel, but writing itself is part of my daily life; something I could have never said a couple years ago.

Typing out my thoughts, beliefs, feelings, stories frees them from my mind. Gives them room to breathe and grow. Makes it possible to share them with others… I write to connect with other people. To comfort, inspire, enlighten. To provoke understanding and empathy. To help people feel less alone.

Writing had always been part of my life, but for the first time I have come to realize it’s more than that. It’s my passion. My purpose.

First it was just part of my life. Now, it’s part of me.

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Erin Madore is known for her radiant energy, bright smile and genuine compassion. After moving past her own barriers to happiness she knew that she could help other people though the same mindful yet bold approach she used to create a joyful, engaging life.

She is a writer, Life Coach and Reiki guide dedicated to comforting, empowering and inspiring others. A New England woman at heart, Erin lives in Boston where you can often find her with a cup of coffee in one hand, and her other hand over her heart.

Connect with her at Creative Soul in Motion, ErinMadore.com, through Twitter, and Facebook.

If you’d like to inspire others with this post, please pass it on with some social media love.  If you don’t see the buttons below, click on the title of this post and they will magically appear at the bottom.

P.S. I’m collecting some data from those of you who have experienced the magic of Make-A-Wave cards!  If you have given/received a card, could you please send me a message here and let me know the city/country the Make-A-Wave card reached?  I’ve had reports of Hawaii, Malaysia, Australia, and parts of Canada and the U.S.!  Thanks for your help as I figure out a way to display their beautiful travelling nature here on Let ME Out!!