Local Writers Gather for First NaNoWriMo get together

Four writers gathered at the Lincoln Library Monday, Nov. 4 for the first NaNoWriMo, meet-up.

NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writers Month, is a program sponsored by more than 14,000 donors, both private and corporate, that encourages writers with a fun approach to getting their first novel draft written within the month of November.

Weekly sessions, held Monday evenings at the Lincoln Library throughout the month of November, are open to anyone interested in writing, in any genre. Men, women and youth are all welcome to participate. "It's not just a time to get together to write, it's a time to gather with other people who share the interest and passion for writing and talk about their work and other resources available to writers." Lee York, organizer of the get-togethers, said.

Although the name suggests novel writing, the group is open to all types of writing and writers. Each of the four writers who attended last Monday are working on different writing projects. One is working on a complete novel and another is working on her eighth book. Another writer is working on a collection of essays, and one is working on a children's book. During the two-hour gathering, each worked on their projects and shared some of their accomplishments and their additional writing resources.

"The goal is to get people interested in writing, to write, and for those more serious about developing a novel for publishing, the opportunity to do so." Said York.

While the writing takes place through the month of November, the website offers a guide to get writer's juices flowing six weeks ahead of that, beginning with a rough outline, character development and plot execution. In addition to the program in November, the website also offers NaNoWriMo Camps in April and July. Additional local writer meet-ups may be held in Lincoln during those months as well.

In addition to the prep guide and NaNoWriMo Camps, the website offers the opportunity to find buddies. Organizers of the NaNoWriMo site say writers are three times more likely to finish a novel by having buddies help hold each other accountable, which is another reason for the in-person gatherings.

For more information on NaNoWriMo, you can visit their website at: https://nanowrimo.org/. If you would like to attend one of the writer meet-ups in Lincoln, come to the library Monday evenings between 7-9 p.m. during the month of November.