Every November, thousands of aspiring authors and literary daredevils from around the world attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days as part of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short.)

The New York Public Library is hosting NaNoWriMo Write-ins all over the city, creating an opportunity for you to meet other participants, work on your novel, and be cheered on to the lexical finish line. Some do it for the digital certificate and sense of achievement, while other NaNoWrimo novelists eventually go on to have their works published. Why you write, what you write, and how you write it, is all up to you!

design by Thomas Knowlton / photo by Carolyn Tiry, CC BY-SA

How do I get started?

1. Sign up at www.nanowrimo.org
2. Register for NYPL Write-ins at any of the locations listed below
3. Start outlining your novel, so you will be ready to write on November 1!

Looking for inspiration?

Here are just a few published NaNoWriMo novels available from the NYPL Catalog:

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (2006)
• BreakupBabe by Rebecca Agiewich (2006)
• Self Storage by Gayle Brandeis (2007)
• Take the Reins by Jessica Burkhart (2009)
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)