Because I do. In the strongest of terms, let me own this belief with my loving arms wrapping around the Shitty First Draft.
Good work doesn’t pop out of the Universe fully formed. I can’t think of an author who sits down to write and creates nirvana on the page.
NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.
Read MoreI have a beautiful and expensive Alienware 18. I use it for gaming, and for a while, it was my main machine. Once my muscle's started acting up, I could no longer lift it, so we bought me a little netbook in the fall of 2015.
It ran Windows 10, had a great track pad, and had some room for Office and a couple of oither lightweight programs. I loved it. It weighs maybe 2 pounds, and I can palm it with ease. I still write on a body pillow for support of my hands and arms, but this tiny machine has cut down on my fatigue in huge ways. I can’t say enough good things about it.
Read MoreI love to write. I’ve been doing it since I learned to read. I think the first book I wrote was a Mr. and Miss book when I was about five. I made up a story and even did the illustrations.
When life gets me sad, glad, mad, happy, joyful, negative, irate and so on and so forth, I write. I have the journals to prove it.
Why is this book so dang hard?
Read MoreThe time has come to get ready for another year.
All of the Christmas decorations at my house will come down this week, and the house will look bare. The lights make things glow, and I miss them after they are packed up and put back in storage.
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Severna Park resident Valerie Stewart (purple shirt) and other area writers met at Severna Park Library on November 30 to discuss the works they created during National Novel Writing Month. Photo Credit: Judy Tacyn
by: Judy Tacyn
Are you ready to write a novel in just one month? Local writers recently took the annual National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge to finish a novel in just 30 days, and they shared their adventures and works at the Severna Park Library on November 30.
The goal of NaNoWriMo isn’t necessarily to publish a novel. The objective is to get ideas out, let creativity flourish, meet people locally or virtually who are also in the sprint to finish their story, and most importantly, have fun.
Writers may research, develop outlines, draft notecards and build characters, but they may not craft a sentence until November 1. Then, the race is on to complete 50,000 words by November 30.
Authors get started on the NaNoWriMo website (www.nanowrimo.org), where they create a profile, enter working titles, collect badges for meeting milestones and track progress. Supportive online forums provide an opportunity to ask questions, request feedback and trade characters. Around the country, in-person “write ins,” like those held weekly at the Severna Park Library, allowed writing time, idea- and plot-sharing, and commiseration.
Severna Park resident Valerie Stewart has participated in NaNoWriMo since 2007. This year, Stewart’s fantasy novel focused on telepathy and the search for a perfect world.
Her goals were to be as creative as possible and to finish rather than publish. The first person to read Stewart’s works is a childhood friend who receives the manuscripts as Christmas gifts. Stewart’s novels are proudly displayed on the shelves of her friend’s library. The two friends share feedback and discuss possible revisions.
Janet Frank of Pasadena also wrote a fantasy novel. Frank’s books are set in modern day, but with a twist, “like maybe a dragon,” hints Frank. In Frank’s world, people must surrender their memories to their god; however, one character remembers something that he shouldn’t. Joining forces with an unlikely ally, the lead character then searches for missing memories.
First-time novelist Kimberly Butler of Annapolis finished her romance novel with only hours to spare. “Many nights turned into early mornings [in November],” shared Butler. Butler’s first novel, “It’s a Christmas Miracle,” is a romance tale. Butler’s protagonist is a recently widowed military wife, pregnant with her deceased husband’s child, who finds love again with another serviceman.
The NaNoWriMo community in Severna Park was launched three years ago by Katie Zaworny, a NaNoWriMo novelist and librarian in the Glen Burnie branch. Along with Rebecca Hass, a fellow NaNoWriMo novelist and programming and outreach manager for the Anne Arundel County Public Library system, the novelists are a passionate group. Local and virtual support systems were invaluable to Butler’s first venture into novel writing.
“The NaNoWriMo writers are simply amazing,” Butler proclaimed. “Whether in person or via the forums, the group was tremendously supportive.” Butler was deemed a “winner” by finishing her novel at 4:00am on Monday, November 30, just under the deadline. “I don’t know that I would have had the motivation and inspiration to finish in just 30 days without this group,” she said.
NaNoWriMo was founded by Chris Baty in 1999. The event started with just 21 participants and six “winners” (writers who complete 50,000 words in a single month), to 42,000 participants in 2014, nearly 6,000 of them winners.
In addition to National Novel Writing Month in November, NaNoWriMo’s programs also include Camp NaNoWriMo, the Young Writers Program, Come Write In and the “Now What?” months. To learn more about National Novel Writing Month, visit www.nanowrimo.org.
The December, January and February issue of “Happenings!” is now available at local libraries and online at www.aacpl.net/events. For more information on your local library’s programming, contact Rebecca Hass at rhass@aacpl.net or 410-222-7371. To learn more about the local NaNoWriMo group, contact Katie Zaworny at glenburnielibrary@aacpl.net or call 410-222-6270.
- See more at: http://www.severnaparkvoice.com/arts-entertainment/local-residents-celebrate-national-novel-writing-month-0#sthash.tW9EPeTK.dpuf
Writing can be a very solitary existence. This can be a positive when you are first working on a piece. Whether you write short stories, short or long fiction, whatever you are into, having a period of time where you can incubate an idea leads to a truth in your own work. Your idea grows in confidence as you pour it out on the page.
Read MoreI’ve been deep into word count land. Thanksgiving week snuck up on me. Now the time has come for being grateful for what the universe has offered in the previous twelve months, and making room for being kind about those things which weren’t so great.
Read MoreWeek Two of NaNoWriMo had my writing dried up like a raisin. All wrinkled, leathery and no promise of sweet on the inside. What do you do when your writing stops flowing? When your characters stop talking to you and to each other, can you get back your groove? How do you get back to center when your motivation and love for your story begins to sour?
Read MoreI think most writers have words we feel are terrible. No matter their use these words make us reject our own prose and lead to revision nightmares. Not only do we feel our work is crapptasic, but we can't overlook our own idiosyncrasies.
Read MoreI am going to NaNoWriMo. I am so excited! In a week I will begin a new book consisting of 50,000 words written from November 1 thru the 30th. Uh huh. I am even lucky enough to get to write on Turkey day when all that over feasting makes my eyes droopy.
I have never done one. I am hoping my family doesn't beg me to quit halfway. 1667 words on average for 30 days. Can I do it? Heck yeah.
Read More“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
