30 days to write 50,000 words

Break out the pens and the paper because it’s time to write that novel you’ve always dreamed of.
Starting Nov. 1, participants in National Novel Writing Month — commonly known as NaNoWriMo — will begin to write their first pages of a novel. By the end of the month, they will end up with a 50,000-word book.
The national event started in 1999 and became a nonprofit organization in 2005. In 2014, the organization said 325,142 people participated in the novel writing month. According to a press release, participants “started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.”
“National Novel Writing Month is a wonderful opportunity for people to dive into their imaginations and do one of the most crucial things in life: create,” said Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo, on the organization’s website. “Everyone has a story that needs to come to life, so the shelves of the NaNoWriMo library stretch endlessly. NaNoWriMo helps people find their voice in the act of writing and through the encouragement of the writers in the NaNoWriMo community.”
For the third consecutive year, the University of Toledo’s Carlson Library will host a series of write-ins and events to help aspiring novelists on campus accomplish that goal.
“Each week, we will provide a gathering place, tips, snacks and support for a novel-writing-on-steroids experience,” said Lucy Duhon, scholarly communications librarian in University Libraries.
Duhon said this will be a quiet place for writers to go to for a few hours and do nothing but write. At the end of the month, a celebration will be held for all who participated. It doesn’t matter if you accomplished the goal or not because the goal is to start writing.
Traditional novels can take years to write and even longer to publish. Through NaNoWriMo, novelists can get their creative minds working very quickly. Writers have a daily goal of at least 1,667 words to be able to reach the goal of 50,000 words at the end of the month.
Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published, including Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants,” Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus,” Hugh Howey’s “Wool,” Rainbow Rowell’s “Fangirl,” Jason Hough’s “The Darwin Elevator” and Marissa Meyer’s “Cinder.”
Duhon said Carlson Library will have many of these books for students to check out during the month in case they feel like reading, not writing.
“To be an avid writer, you have to be an avid reader,” Duhon said.
The NaNoWriMo kickoff will be held Nov. 1 in Carlson Library Room 2010 from 1-4 p.m. Write-ins will be held in the same room throughout the month from 5-8 p.m.
“Everyone has a story inside. Write it down. Write it for you,” Duhon said.
For more information or to sign up, visit http://libguides.utoledo.edu/nanowrimo.org