Writing a Novel Is the Hardest Thing I Have Ever Done

By a long shot! I've never written any kind of novel, much less a murder mystery novel, but I believe that writing a murder mystery novel has to be the most difficult kind of novel to write.
All of the balls I'm juggling have to stay in the air at the same time because my story has to be so intertwined within itself that everyone who reads it never sees it coming. I fail as a murder mystery writer if you see it coming.

Recent discoveries:

It took me six months to figure out who my main character is. And now I love her. And I completely understand her. And I think everyone who meets her will love her too. She's that awesome!

I have no setting. I have no setting because I set my novel in Colorado, and I've never been to Colorado. Why, you might ask, would I set my novel in a state in which I had never set foot. My answer: I don't know. But I did. And I don't want to undo it now, Mainly because it would be a lot of work, so I'll just research Colorado instead. Thanks to my many friends who are helping me with this one. Your knowledge and experience is proving invaluable. This part of the novel is still coming along. I still have minimal amounts of setting. I'm working on it. And the great irony here is I probably won't be able to afford to go to Colorado until I've sold this book. But you'll totally believe I've traveled there by the time I'm finished writing.

I know nothing about the journalism industry, and my lead protagonist is a food critic. I studied journalism in undergrad, which doesn't amount to a whole hill of beans at this point. I need to know all the little stuff like deadline stuff and procedure stuff and editor/reporter relationship stuff that you only get by working at a newspaper. Again, it's too late to turn back now. And I really like that she's a food critic. This combines one industry I've worked in for years and one industry I love to study. And they say, write what you know. So I am. Sort of.

I'm avoiding writing my ending like the plague. I don't know why, but I haven't figured the ending out yet. If I force it won't be as good as if it comes from some sort of inspiration. When it's inspired, it's much better writing. This needs to write itself very soon. Like in the next two weeks soon.

Back to it for now. I've got lots of work left to do. I cranked out ten chapters last week, and I've done a lot of research, editing, and planning this week. Time to write some more.