NaNoWriMo and I Love to Write Day

Image courtesy Chapendra, Creative Commons

November is National Novel Writing Month. For anybody who says “I could have written that, and better too!” upon finishing the latest crime thriller or romance, this is your month. NaNoWriMo, as it is more frequently called, is the Ironman Triathlon of writing challenges. A contest available to anybody, the ultimate goal of NaNoWriMo is to complete a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. No part of the novel can be written before November 1, but participants can have detailed outlines and notes of a novel-to-be. It is the ultimate example of writing for the sake of writing.

This event is highly anticipated among those who enjoy the written word. Although the only prize is a sense of accomplishment, anyone who pens 50,000 words or more during November is deemed a NaNoWriMo winner. According to the NaNoWriMo website, over 1.4 billion words have been contributed to the cause this year by writers around the world. It is mid-November now, but that gives anyone interested a year of planning for next year.

For those who understandably do not have the time to pump out a novel in a month, there is always I Love to Write Day. Created in 2001 by a freelance author, November 15 has been set aside for those of all ages to take a day to write. It can be creative like a poem or short story or expository such as an article for a newspaper short essay on your favorite book. It can go in a blog or on Goodreads.com; you can show it to your friends or keep it to yourself. What matters is that you put a pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard. More information is available at ilovetowriteday.org.

Writing is not the daunting task it is often made out to be. People who enjoy writing can use the Garland County Library’s numerous writing resources. From improving writing and English skills to honing your novel in progress or children’s book, the library is chock full of books available for the successful test taker, author, poet, and playwright.

On a final note, employees of the library have formed the Santa's Little Shelvers library drill team and will be performing at the Hot Springs Christmas Parade. The parade is scheduled for Monday, December 6 at 6:30 pm with a rain date of December 8. Santa's Little Shelvers have been practicing hard for the past several weeks and are expected to perform a routine in the vein of similar performances available on sites such as YouTube.