Are you a plotter or a pantser? An aspiring novelist or a published pro? Wherever you fall on either spectrum, you’ve likely heard of National Novel Writing Month. Every year, thousands of writers challenge themselves to a write more. For some, it's a sprint. They start at zero and commit to writing 50,000 words in just one month. For others, the goal is simply to finish a first draft - whatever length that might end up being. Either way, it's a pretty ambitious task!
# When in Doubt, Go to the Library...
So how do you even begin? And how do you keep yourself motivated to finish? For starters, the Library offers free "Writer's Lab" workshops every month, on-demand video courses through LinkedIn Learning, free self-publishing tools like Pressbooks Public, and plenty of books on writing.
# Writer's Lab: Writing With Words and Pictures
Explore the unique process of writing graphic novels for publication with writer and illustrator Michael Regina from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Willow Branch Library. In this free 90-minute workshop, you'll learn practical tools, storytelling techniques, and creative strategies for blending words and images into compelling narratives, along with the unique challenges—and opportunities—of writing for the comics medium.
Regina is the writer and illustrator behind the all-ages horror graphic novels Deepwater Creek, The Sleepover, and the Adamsville trilogy. This workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the Willow Branch Library.
Think 30 days is too little time to write a publishable novel? Think again. Hundreds of books were composed during National Novel Writing Month. Some of them even became bestsellers. Dig into one of these stories today—it may just inspire you to write one of your own!
Is November just not the right month for you to start a challenge? No worries! The Library offers a free writing workshop every month! In fact, you may be interested in this virtual workshop scheduled for December...
#Writer's Lab: How to Get Started with Writing Your Novel
Join New York Times bestselling author Ben Guterson to learn strategies for envisioning and planning your novel from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, online via Zoom. In this free 90-minute workshop, Guterson will walk participants through several approaches to creating a manuscript roadmap and will discuss some of the considerations to bear in mind as you begin your novel-writing journey. Guterson is the New York Times bestselling author of The World-Famous Nine, which was a Barnes & Noble Monthly Young Reader Pick, as well as its sequel The Shadow of the World Famous Nine, The Einsteins of Vista Point and the popular Winterhouse trilogy.
#Already a Published Author?
Local authors and illustrators are encouraged to submit their work to the Local Author Collection. If you would like your work to be considered, you will need to submit the following:
- Agreement Form
- In-Kind Donation Form
- One donated copy of your book
Please use the form on our Local Author page to request the required documents and instructions.
