National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. Every November, writers around the world work to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and – most importantly – a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.
Including today, all of the remaining Saturdays in November will be designated “Come Write In” days at the Delaware County District Library Main Branch. Our staff has reserved the front Community Meeting Room for writers to gather with all they need for a successful writing session. Using the theme “Your Story Matters,” NaNoWriMo invites you to join us and write your novel today.
The Delaware County District Library knows that one of the primary ways we can support the local writing community is to simply provide time and space. Beyond that, all DCDL locations also have ample free Wi-Fi, heat (or A/C depending on Ohio’s weather mood), electricity, and plenty of resources to spark creativity or give greater insight into a character. If your laptop is on the fritz, DCDL even has one you can borrow. Just be sure to bring a flash drive or save your work digitally.
During the write-ins, food and drink are welcome in the community room. Bring your own from home or take a refreshing walk to downtown Delaware for sustenance, caffeine, or whatever you need to keep plugging away at those 50,000 words.
I’m hoping we’ll see some of our writers at the library this month. While we have specific days set aside on Nov. 12, 19, and 26, the Delaware County District Library is your home for writing any time of the year. Come. Sit. Write. Stay.
If you happen to find yourself with a block during your writing project, try one of these books recommended to give creativity a boost, break the wall, and get past the block.
• “Finishing School: The Happening Ending to That Writing Project You Can’t Seem to Get Done” by Cary Tennis. Cary Tennis wrote the advice column “Since You Asked,” which appeared on Salon.com for twelve years. As an advice columnist, he never missed a deadline, but in his literary writing, he found himself stalled. Through the Finishing School method that he created, he completed his novel and now helps others through theirs in his writing workshops and international retreats. Finishing School helps writers reignite the passion that started them on the project in the first place and work steadily to get it done.
• “The Story Cure: A Book Doctor’s Pain-free Guide to Finishing your Novel or Memoir” by Dinty W. Moore. Creative writing professor Dinty W. Moore prescribes remedies for the most common stumbling blocks novelists and memoirists encounter when embarking on their writing projects.
• “The 1-Minute Writer: 396 Microprompts to Spark Creativity and Recharge your Writing” by Leigh Medeiros. One minute of daily writing is better than twenty minutes every two weeks – let this fun and helpful handbook of quick, easy writing prompts show you why short bursts of writing are essential to flexing your creative muscles to create your best work! Each prompt has four variations: a one-minute prompt, a five-minute prompt, a ten-minute prompt, and a twenty-minute prompt. Choose prompts based on both the time you have available and the kind of writing you’d like to do.
• “Improv for Writers: 10 Secrets to Help Novelists and Screenwriters Bypass Writer’s Block and Generate Infinite Ideas” by Jorjeana Marie. Improv instructor and writer Jorjeana Marie presents the first book to harness the creative power of improvisation exercises to help both aspiring and seasoned authors defeat writer’s block and generate new ideas.
