National Novel Writing Month is coming up, and I am participating in full this year. I have planned out my story since August, ready to start writing every day for the month of November to complete my first novel.

My favorite thing about writing stories is when I tell someone about a character and they are able to relate to the character. I love that. I love seeing their eyes light up as I tell them, "This character is asexual and aromantic," and they're able to get excited about it.

I love telling them about my mentally ill character, or my transgender Native American character. I love watching them get excited about how the characters are real, even if it's a story about the paranormal.

If you have a story you want to tell, I highly suggest you sit down and plan it out. The world needs stories to hear, especially stories with diverse characters.