Writing 50,000 words on over 100 pages for 30 days might seem intimidating to some people. Thankfully, Cynthia Pfledderer has some experience in that area. Working as a Southlake public librarian for the past 11 years, Cynthia’s life revolves around words, whether she’s reading them from a book or writing her own. But one of her favorite aspects of the job is helping people power through National Novel Writing Month in November.
What Is National Novel Writing Month?
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a month-long challenge where participants attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Created in 1999 by freelance writer Chris Baty, NaNoWriMo regularly gathers over 200,000 participants, with about 40,000 writers completing the challenge every year.
“Writing is such a solitary thing that it’s easy to become discouraged. NaNoWriMo brings aspiring writers together and provides a framework to push against. It challenges them to take their dream and make it real by setting a challenging but attainable goal,” Cynthia says. “It isn't even about being good — it's about the accomplishment.”
Love Of Words
After creating a profile at NaNoWriMo.org, participants will have from Sunday, November 1 until 11:59:59 p.m. on Monday, November 30 to finish their 50,000 words. According to the website, writers have to write an average of 1,667 words a day, 69 words an hour or 1.2 words per minute to win the challenge. While Cynthia has participated in NaNoWriMo in years past, the closest she’s ever come to finishing was 30,000 words. She hopes to change that this year, and being part of a community of tight-knit storytellers helps her keep writing.
“When you start to build connections, you see how many others around you are in this unofficial aspiring writers club,” Cynthia says. “You start to recognize one another on the street, a kindred spirit for your love of words.”
Local Resources
Not only are there several local clubs you can connect with to help you through NaNoWriMo but also the Southlake Public Library offers take-home kits to help writers with their creative thinking. The kits include pens, writing prompts, notepads, a tracker card to log your progress and words of encouragement to keep you going. The library is also hosting a socially distanced write-in event at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 6, where writers can gather, connect and share the projects they’ve been working on. After all, NaNoWriMo isn’t about completing a finalized, fully fleshed-out novel — it’s about sharing your creative experiences with one another.
“You never know what your words will mean to someone else,” Cynthia says. “But first, you have to write them. You can edit anything except a blank page.”