Alaskans among those attempting a novel in November
The ‘NaNoWriMos’ are at it again: starting and finishing a novel in the month of November (National Novel Writing Month), no matter what it takes--and one group in Anchorage is offering encouragement through regular “write-ins.” Though so far I haven’t finished this annual writer’s marathon, I love the idea of it. Last year, I kept at it until felled by the double-whammy of a cross-country work trip and a strep-like infection. (I do treasure the memory of my airplane seatmate--at trip’s end--begging to know what it was that had kept me scribbling so hard from Seattle to North Carolina.) This year, I’m not a contender. But I encourage you to learn more about this event, which is quite literally inspirational in that it provides the inspiration most writers confess to me they need most: a DEADLINE.
Need more inspiration? For a look at what NaNoWriMo can lead to, see the wonderful novel written by former ADN copy desker Craig Lancaster: Six Hundred Hours of Edward, at the author’s site, amindadrift.com.
As for those Anchorage write-ins, NaNoWriMo Anchorage Municipal Liaison Nethene Khthon writes: “For all those folk in or around Anchorage, you should drop in to one of the write-ins for a spell. It’s a lot of fun to sit with a bunch of other people furiously writing. There are word-wars to get your story moving, prizes to motivate you, and clever folk to help with word choice.... We have four scheduled a week. They are as follows:
“A) Mondays (2, 9, 16, 23, 30) : 3PM to 8PM at the Loussac Library, Children’s Section, near the windows. 3600 Denali Street. This is over the usual meeting of the Write Club formed by jodotha, who have kindly opened the invitation for all of us to join them.
B) Tuesdays (3, 10, 17, 24) : 5PM-9PM at the Elim Cafe Conference Room, 561 West Dimond Blvd.
C) Thursdays (5, 12, 19) and Wednesday the 25th: 7PM - late/late at the Denali Denny’s, 2900 Denali Street.
D) Saturdays (7, 14, 21, 28) : 10AM – 3PM at Side Street Espresso, 412 G Street. This is where one of the Arctic Wooly Wrinos’ members, Mel, regularly meets with fellow writers.”
For more on NaNoWriMore, see the National Novel Writers Month website. (To get e-mails about Anchorage events for NaNoWrMo, sign up there for Anchorage notifications; those elsewhere can look for liaisons in their area—or volunteer to be one next time around.)
Happy Writing! And congratulations, you wonderful Alaska NaNoWriMos: Eight days down!
P.S. - Of course, there is no reason you couldn’t use the NaNoWriMo principal for any project you are working on. Get a group together and randomly declare your own “National Book Month” or “Poetry Month” or “Memoir Month” and get that project out of your head and onto paper (or into the computer memory, I suppose) where it belongs.
November 08, 2009
