What is NaNoWriMo?
National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual program that takes place every November nationwide. Starting November 1, participants begin writing with the goal of writing 50,000 words before November 30. This ends up being about 1,650 words a day. The program values enthusiasm, determination, and having a deadline. NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.
How do I participate?
Go to nanowrimo.org and register. Start writing! On November 30, upload your 50,000 words to nanowrimo.org and pat yourself on the back.
How can the Library help me succeed?
Check out some of our books on writing such as:
Getting the Words Right by Theodore A. Rees Cheney
For more than twenty years, Getting the Words Right has helped writers from all professions rewrite, revise, and refine their writing. In this new edition, author Theodore Cheney offers 39 targeted ways you can improve your writing, including how to: create smooth transitions between paragraphs;
correct the invisible faults of inconsistency, incoherence, and imbalance;
overcome problems of shifting point of view and style; express your ideas clearly by trimming away weak or extra words
How to Tell a Story: The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tales by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost
Drawing on Provost's proven philosophies, Rubie examines every facet of storytelling, from narrative hooks to fulfilling climaxes. Through advice, exercises and an outstanding array of examples, you'll learn to create gripping narratives powered by strong characters. You'll discover the secrets of sequencing, of weaving subplots into rich stories, of manipulating story pace to increase conflict, tension and surprise.
Pen Commandments: A Guide for the Beginning Writer by Steven Frank
Thou Shalt Honor Thy Reader, Thou Shalt Not Waste Words, Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Sentences—these are three of the “pen” commandments through which, with humor and an engaging sense of purpose, Steven Frank inspires his readers not just to write but to write well.
Bring your writing to the next Forest Writer's Group, November 10 at 9:30 am and get feedback and support from fellow writers.
Take classes on writing through Lynda.com, available for free through the Library. It's easy to create an online profile and get started.
Use our computers and/or our quiet work spaces to write your novel!
Check out the resources available and get inspiration, find meetup groups and more through ChiWriMo at http://chiwrimo.org/resources/.