November is NaNoWriMo

If you’re like me, November conjures up mental images of turkey, Thanksgiving, and orange and brown crepe paper. And writing. You may not know it, but since 2000 November has been National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. In that time participation has grown from 140 individuals to last year’s almost unbelievable 256,618 registered participants.

So, what is NaNoWriMo?

It’s a simple, but seemingly daunting challenge: write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That may sound like a lot, but it’s really only about 175 pages. So it is doable — last year 36,843 people crossed the finish line – and even if you don’t finish, you’re still a writer in our book for even trying. If you’re interested, your first stop should be nanowrimo.org where you can sign up to participate and create an online profile. You’ll also find a complete list of the guidelines, pep talks and other helpful info, as well as details on prizes should you reach the 50,000 word mark.

NaNoWriMo at Your Library

The Harrisonville branch will be hosting several NaNoWriMo events in October and November. It all starts Wednesday, October 17 with the October Wind-Up. Starting at 4:00 pm, you’ll have a chance to meet other aspiring authors, and get settled in with some coffee or tea. Following this we’ll have a presentation that will tell you all you need to know to get started, plus an open lab session where you can develop, plot, and/or research your ideas using the library’s computer lab and our other great writing resources.

On October 24, we’ll be hosting a Q&A where you can interact with local authors who will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the writing process. The panel discussion starts at 4:30 pm and features Linda Rodriguez, author of Every Last Secret and winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Competition. Linda will be on hand after the panel discussion to talk about her book and sign a few copies. We’ll also have an open lab from 6:30 to 7:30 that evening.

Then the real work begins in November. Stop by every Wednesday starting at 4:00 pm for our NaNoWriMo Weigh-In where you’ll find inspiration, support, and weekly drawings for prizes followed by Come Write In sessions to work on your novel. We’ll wrap things up on the 30th at our NaNoWriMo ending party where we’ll celebrate your accomplishments and hand out prizes.

We hope to see you there. Best of luck and happy writing.

– Seth Moses, Bookmobile Manager