For anyone who has ever wanted to write a book, for whatever reason, National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, may be the place to start.


For readers of this blog who, like millions of others across the nation, feel a book inside, struggling to get out, the NaNoWriMo event is your chance to follow that dream.

But NaNoWriMo is not just for beginning writers. It’s a challenge that may give authors a chance to loosen up, let the chips fall, and take a risk.

During the month of November, libraries from Alaska to Florida and all over the world will be hosting the event. Our librarian, who nurtures local talent, hosts a kick-off event every year at one of the county libraries. I’ll be joining a panel of other published authors to talk about the craft of writing, after which we will hand back one-page submissions of people who requested an earlier critique. This may sound counter-intuitive, because NaNoWriMo, by its very structure, encourages seat-of-the-pants writing. Our library administrator, however, believes a bit of knowledge will only feed the writing frenzy.

Some of the previous years’ participants who took pen to paper for the first time have seen results. They went on to do revisions, and were eventually published by well-known houses.

If you’re a published author, looking to get your name into the community, your library may be the very place to start. Ask if you can organize a kick-off event, then follow through. You can display your books on a table to give the audience inspiration, and give you a bit of publicity.