October is an exciting time of year. At least here in many parts of the United States, including mine, crisp air is settling in and writers are starting to hunker down for the coming winter. Piping hot, steaming coffee is poured into mugs with a little more urgency each morning as the temperature drops and the sun seems ever more reluctant to rise. Families round up the kids for Sunday trips to apple orchards and pumpkin patches.

Around here at ChapterBuzz, the excitement is even more palpable, for October is when novelists of all skill levels, and from all over the globe, converge in one virtual spot with one common goal: to write 10,000 words in one month. As the 10K Novel Writing Challenge picks up steam, progress is made, awards are handed out, fellow writers are met, feedback is received, and most importantly, fun is had by all.

Of all the reasons for me to be excited personally, chief among them is that it’s time for a new group of standout authors to emerge. We’ve had some excellent Challenge winners in the past, Dacia M. Arnold, Kaitlyn Abdou, and Sheila M. Good to name just a few. All immensely talented, and all recipients of accolades from their peers and newfound fans before their books were even completed. I’ll have plenty to report about the Challenge, including the winners, in the December issue.

It’s also exciting to see all the new subscribers signing up to receive this magazine, even though this is only the second issue. It’s heartening to see these articles being shared with friends, family members, and fellow wordsmiths. Writers and non-writers alike have lots to page through this month—including an interview with our featured cover author, Shirley Holder Platt, who’s become quite well-known in the ChapterBuzz community.

And there’s much more. Allison Marie Conway returns with her regular column, Art & Soul. This month, she talks about why we writers have a responsibility to choose our words carefully—in a day and age when these words can just as easily be used to build up or destroy, establish truth or attack it.

I first met author Piper Punches back in 2015 when I interviewed her for my blog. Now, she’s charging ahead with her professional writing career, and is the author of several published books. This month, she’s sharing her thoughts on the sneaky ways fear holds us back, and how we can be brave enough to act despite it.

R.L. Smith, hailing from the land down under, is a newcomer to our community, but a seasoned veteran of the writing scene. She’s contributed an article explaining why it’s important to understand the structure of a story—no matter whether you consider yourself a “pantser” (one who writes by the seat of his or her pants), or a plotter (one who creates an outline before writing).

So now, snuggle up under your coziest throw blanket, pour yourself a bubbling cup of mulled wine or spiced cider, and enjoy the October issue of Books & Buzz Magazine.

Happy reading,

Timothy Pike
Editor-in-chief, Books & Buzz Magazine