National Novel Writing Month: Discover the Writer Inside You

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Imagine writing a 50,000-word novel in a single month. That means writing approximately 1,667 words each day of character dialogue, scene descriptions, and plot. It might sound impossible, but it isn’t because hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have done it, some multiple times. That’s the magic of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

NaNoWriMo celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, inspiring writers online and in person to get their ideas down on the page to share with the world. For everyone who has ever dreamed of being a writer, ever dreamed of completing the novel that has been playing out in their head, November becomes a call to action to start writing and keep writing.

By joining the NaNoWriMo website, writers can declare their novel to the world, earn badges for their writing achievements, and join a worldwide community of writers all working in November towards the same goal—50,000 words.

Supporting Writers of All Ages

This is the 14th year of the Young Writers Program (YWP), which brings NaNoWriMo’s unique style of creative writing into classrooms. The YWP helps young writers—participating both in classrooms and independently—set individual word-count goals and divide their work into daily, achievable milestones.

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program website features an interactive, youth-friendly writing space, a robust suite of admin tools, and the ability for educators to create multiple virtual classrooms. Resources such as Common Core-aligned lesson plans and Young Novelist Workbooks are also available. In addition, NoNoWriMo sends out free classroom kits each year filled with posters, stickers, and other offline resources.

An Entire Community With You As You Write

This November, Municipal Liaisons (MLs) will coordinate hundreds of local, in-person writing events, working with local businesses, libraries, and community centers to bring creative writing into cities and regions across the globe. In San Bernardino County alone, a team of two MLs will be holding meet-ups during October to help potential novelists prepare and schedule write-ins during November to offer support, inspiration and free swag to participants. The Come Write In program (CWI) includes partners at more than 1,000 libraries, book stores, and community spaces around the world. This year, that includes the Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino.

SanBerdooNaNo

The San Bernardino County region of NaNoWriMo, known as SanBerdooNaNo, has its own social media accounts and a special area on the official NaNoWriMo online forums. The local MLs will also be hosting NaNoWriMo prep sessions across the county in October. Drop by one or more prep sessions to learn about NaNoWriMo, get some tips on planning for your novel, and get access to some amazing resources.

NaNo Prep Highland!Wednesday, October 16, 5 p.m.Highland Branch Library7863 Central Avenue, Highland 92346Informational and plotting session at the Highland library

Get Ready to Novel!Sunday, October 20, 4 p.m.Starbucks Coffee4365 University Parkway, San Bernardino 92407Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while you learn about NaNoWriMo, get familiar with the new website and forums, and have your burning novel prep questions answered
San Bernardino City Prep EventTuesday, October 22, 6 p.m.Feldheym Central Library555 West 6th Street, San Bernardino 92410Learn about NaNoWriMo and the new website and forums and get access to resources for planning your novel

High Desert Planning NightThursday, October 24, 5:30 p.m.Comic Cult HD9594 I Avenue, Suite F, Hesperia 92345Hang out with local High Desert writers and get help planning your NaNoWriMo project.

NaNoWriMo Kick Off PartySunday, October 27, 2 p.m.Comic Cult HD9594 I Avenue, Suite F, Hesperia 92345A social and motivational event before you start your novel