This year’s local NaNoWriMo Kickoff event was held at Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Vancouver, Wash.
History
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, to those in the know began humbly, fifteen years ago as “half literary marathon and half block party,” according to its founder, Chris Baty. Baty and a group of 20 friends spent a month writing novels, for no other reason than they figured novelists have a better chance of getting dates than non-novelists.
According to Vancouver coordinator, Liz Onstead, NaNoWriMo has its own ebb and flow. Here she shares the creative process of NaNoWriMos over the years.
But the now viral event has grown exponentially. Last year, according to the NaNoWriMo website, 341,375 people earned the right to call themselves novelists by penning at least 50,000 words.
Published NaNoWriMo Novelists
This isn’t just a frivolous exercise. According to Onstead, Water for Elephants came a rough draft of NaNoWriMo author, Sarah Gruen. Lists of books published by traditional publishing houses, self-publishing / Indy publishing, and even foreign publishing can be found on the NaNoWriMo website.
Upcoming Events:
The event which takes place every November is free. To “win,” participants have to craft 50,000 words over the course of the month. To that end local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” are selected by the non-profit corporation and facilitate local events. In Vancovuer this year, there will be over two dozen local events at five locations.
A newly updated (thanks to member donations) digital platform acts as proctor, forum host, and event schedule receptacle, counting participants words and communicating when and where local events occur.
According to Nancy Kelley and Liz Onstead, local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” who facilitate November’s NaNoWriMo, participants have over two dozen events to plug into for support, accountability, and encouragement. NaNoWriMo provides an informative FAQ for people wanting to lurk or find out more.
A schedule of events in Vancouver, Wash. and Portland, Ore., can be found on the local NaNoWriMo website. The map below marks the sites of the month’s events.
