writing

For National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), we asked a few of our recent Lit Chat and Writer's Lab alumni to answer a few questions about their writing process. Our second guest blogger is Sohrab Homi Fracis. Our second guest blogger is Sohrab Homi Fracis. True Fiction, his new book of North Florida (and elsewhere) stories, won the 2023 International Book Award for story collections. Fracis was also the first Asian American author to win the Iowa Short Fiction Award, described by the New York Times Book Review as "among the most prestigious literary prizes America offers," for his first book, Ticket to Minto: Stories of India and America.

For National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), we asked a few of our recent Lit Chat and Writer's Lab alumni to answer a few questions about their writing process. Hurley Winkler is a writer and a lifelong resident of Jacksonville. Her fiction and nonfiction work has appeared in Hobart, Neutral Spaces, The Millions, and elsewhere, and she interviews writers and musicians for The Creative Independent and WJCT's Jacksonville Music Experience. 

Writing 50,000 words in a single month can be a daunting task... but it doesn't have to be a solitary one! There's a whole community of writers, right here in Jacksonville, and several ways to network and learn from them. Between monthly Writer's Lab workshops as well as Lit Chat Interviews and Author Talks, the Library is truly a local author's best friend. You never have to pay to attend these classes either, whether it's an up-and-coming local author or an international bestselling author. Not only that, the Library has tons of books on writing, publishing and more... and it's all completely free to use! 

It's Jacksonville's 200th birthday! Add your voice to the celebration... and to history! Jacksonville Public Library invites youth in grades 4-12 to submit an original poem, not to exceed one page in length, celebrating Jacksonville's upcoming Bicentennial. Entries will be accepted online through April 30, 2022 and top winners from three age categories will win a cash prize!

April is National Poetry Month! This 25^th annual celebration of poets and poetry was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996 to remind us that poets have an integral role to play in our culture. And what better time than Spring to promote artists and an art form that’s given us so much beauty? Whether you’re looking for a new poet, revisiting old favorites, or composing your own haiku, freeform poem, rhyme, or blank verse: the Library’s collection is a great place to find something that resonates with you.

Everyone has a story to tell. If you’re on social media, you’re most likely already “micro-blogging” in the form of daily updates, posting photos, and sharing milestones and moments with friends and family. Why not grab a pen and paper, open your laptop, or (heck) bring out the old typewriter if you’re so inclined and just write? Your life story may also end up being a family treasure one day, a record of you and of family history that might otherwise get lost or forgotten. If you need some inspiration or direction, these books are a great place to start.