It’s time again for National Novel Writing Month and the Library is here to help our local writers reach that 50,000 word goal!

This year, seven locations will be hosting Write-In programs. We’ll have space for you to work, coffee and snacks to keep you going, and most importantly, the support of your fellow writers.

• CLP – Main (First Floor Magazine Room) • Saturdays | 12 – 2 pm
• CLP – Beechview • Saturdays | 2 – 4 pm
• CLP – Brookline • Saturdays | 2 – 5 pm
• CLP – Downtown & Business • Saturdays | 1:30 – 4 pm
• CLP – Homewood • Saturdays | 12 – 4 pm
• CLP – West End • Saturdays | 10 am – 12 pm
• CLP – Woods Run • Tuesdays | 6 -8 pm

In case you missed it, Kelly’s NaNoWriMo post from last year has some great resources for writing a novel in a short amount of time. You can also check out these books for even more inspiration.

If you’re like me and the idea of completing a novel in one month brings on a cold sweat, maybe reading some of novels that have been published as a result of the project is more your speed. You might recognize a few of these titles that started out as NaNoWriMo drafts:

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• Wool by Hugh Howey
• The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough
• Marissa Meyer’s Cinder series
• The Martian by Andy Weir

Beyond these best-sellers, there are many, many more books, across all genres, that also started as WriMo projects and made it publication. Hopefully, these write-in workshops will help a few budding novelists reach that goal!

Jess is the Clerical Specialist at the Woods Run branch on the North Side. She’s your girl for YA lit, romance novels and knitting.