NaNoWriMo. Sounds a little bit like Mork communicating with his Orkan buddies, doesn’t it? Well, “Mork & Mindy” fans, sorry to disappoint you, but NaNoWriMo isn’t an alien greeting. It’s actually an acronym, and it stands for National Novel Writing Month. And, you guessed it, November is the designated month. Described as “a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing” on the web site www.nanowrimo.org, the goal of this event is to write a 50,000 word novel between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. I’m pretty sure it would take me a month just to come up with a title for a novel, so, alas, this literary race is not for me.
If you’re thinking, “Hey, NaNoWriMo sounds awesome, but it’s already Nov. 11,” well, don’t worry. You can still write the next great novel, and take your time doing it. Are you full of bookish ideas, but don’t know where to begin? Go to the library! We have a variety of titles about writing, including how to start, how to end, how to fill up the middle — you know, all the essential book stuff.
The reading list below is just a small sample of the many writing books available in the library’s collection. In case the thought of writing a novel sends you into a panic, I’ve included a guide on how to write short stories — very, very, short stories. We also have current editions of “Writer’s Market,” “Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market,” “Christian Writer’s Market,” and “Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market,” so when you’re ready to submit your finished manuscript, don’t forget to check out one of these guides. Before you know it, you’ll be a famous author going on book tours, waxing poetic about your writing style and how the library helped you get started. Right?
Now, go forth and write. As Mork would say, “Nanu Nanu.”
• “Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World,” by Nell Stevens.
• “Damn Fine Story: Mastering the Tools of a Powerful Narrative,” by Chuck Wendig.
• “Finishing School: The Happy Ending to that Writing Project You Can’t Seem to Get Done,” by Cary Tennis.
