National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with a first draft.
Need a push to get your butt in the chair so you can start writing that book you know is in you? Or maybe you’ve already started but you’re stuck and need some inspiration to push through. Either way, we’re here for you. To celebrate NaNoWriMo, HPL is hosting three writing workshops throughout the month of November to support you wherever you are in your writing journey:
Prime the Pump and Keep It Flowing
Saturday, November 2, 11 a.m.
Woodruff Room
Presented by Mary Ann Noe
Join us as we kick off NaNoWriMo. This is a workshop that will help you prime your writing pump. Where do stories, whether fiction, memoir, or non-fiction, come from? Explore, and try out, the tricks you yourself can use to begin writing, as well as keep those ideas flowing. Designed for people to write, and then share, when they are comfortable. Though not focused specifically on grammar, we’ll talk about what makes for easy reading.
Register online, in the library, or call (608) 758-6600.
Writing Your Character’s Emotional Journey
Saturday, November 9, 11 a.m.
Woodruff Room
Presented by Mary Wimmer
In this workshop we will explore how to take characters from point A to point B through imaginings, ponderings, memories, conflict, and details. The nitty gritty of emotional journeys will be examined through examples from literature and a brief writing exercise. We will learn from the field of psychology about how individuals process information and emotions when faced with trauma and great challenge. The intersection between plot, theme, and emotional journey will be discussed.
Register online, in the library, or call (608) 758-6600.
Time to Write! A Generative Workshop to Bust Through Writer's Block
Saturday, November 16, 11 a.m.
Woodruff Room
Presented by Kim Suhr
This workshop includes prompts and writing in community to help you tap into your creativity and unlock the ideas that bubble just below the surface. For novice and veteran writers—and everyone in between—Time to Write! will bring you (back?) to the page and rekindle your delight in the writing process.
Register online, in the library, or call (608) 758-6600.