Calling All Writers—It’s National Novel Writing Month

If you’ve ever written or attempted to write a book, you know it can be a daunting task. People often question: “Where do I start?” If this sounds familiar, then November is going to be the month to pick up the pen. It is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a national initiative to encourage people to embrace their storytelling abilities. NaNoWriMo started in the San Francisco area in November 2000 “to more fully take advantage of the miserable weather." It has since grown to a national month for the literary community. If you need an additional nudge, we have several programs and resources to help you start.  

NaNoWriMo Programs 

We have a month of writing programs for novices to the more experienced authors. You can find them all on our events page, but here are a few of the highlights.  

• Writers Studio: NaNoWriMo, Getting Started
  Adult
  Monday, November 4 at 7 p.m. (Virtual)
  Join other local writers to get tips and discuss how to get started on your story, whether it is your first time or you are a seasoned author. 
   
• Promote Your Own Book With Cherrie Woods
  Adult
  Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m. (Arbutus Branch) 
  This interactive workshop shares relevant and practical PR strategies to help authors develop a public profile for themselves and their books and ultimately increase sales. 

Tips From a Pro 

Another celebration for local authors is Indie Author Day, recognized on November 1 and 2 this year. The initiative brings libraries, organizations and indie authors together to celebrate independent and local authors in the community. If you’ve gotten through the first steps of writing your book, the next is to get it promoted. We’ve invited Cherrie Woods, a public relations professional and book publicist who specializes in working with independent authors and creatives, to our Arbutus Branch on Saturday, November 16, to share her expertise. As a sneak peek, here are three quick tips to promote your title. 

• Identify your target readers and create a PR plan targeted to them. 
• Create a separate author profile on your selected social media channels. 
• Ensure you create a well-designed author website under your name. 

365 Resources 

We encourage you to write long after November and NaNoWriMo are over. So here are a few resources that can help you year-round.

• Research Databases—Get help with research from programs like Biography in Context and Gale OneFile, to give you a good base.  
• LinkedIn Learning—Explore a variety of classes to walk you through the writing process and publication. 
• My Librarian—Schedule a time to talk one-on-one with a librarian to help point you in the right direction for research, writing or publishing.