National Novel Writing Month, or; Low Hanging Programming Fruit for Libraries

The VLA News – November 2012 issue will be released tomorrow around lunch time. Below is my editorial, which is all about NaNoWriMo. Perhaps it will assuage my guilt about not participating this year:

A couple years ago, I was a municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the original month-long writing challenge. Participants pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days for the month of November. These participants spend a lot of time by themselves in front of their computers and sometimes they just need to get out and be glued to their screens w ith others in the struggle.

The municipal liaison is responsible for coordinating events for their region. We are a sparsely populated state, so by national standards we are considered one region. However, as we all know, VT is 3-6 regions depending on who you ask. Municipa l liaisons tend to be in or near Chittenden County, where the bulk of participants usually are, and as such have a difficult time finding or suggesting places for write-ins and kick-off/thank-goodness-it’s-over parties outside of Burlington. Every year there are woeful cries of “is anyone writing in [my town] or [my school]?!?!” There are a lot of young folks who participate, so finding places that are all ages can be a real challenge.

This is where you come in! Participants don’t often think to ask libraries or are afraid they’ll be turned down despite the fact that NaNoWriM o encourages participants to write-in at libraries. A typical write-in involves folks quietly typing away on their laptops punctuated by periods of delirious chattering. They need tables and chairs, access to outlets, free wifi, and the freedom to drink caffeinated beverages and leftover halloween candy.

Most of all, they just need to be invited. Think about reaching out to the Vermont community, or VerWriMos, and offer your library for write-ins! VerWriMos can be reached by signing up for a login on the Nano site and subscribing to the Vermont Regional forum. You will see all the activity happening statewide and be able to offer your services. Official forums are the primary way that participants communicate.

If you don’t want to join, you can always shoot a message to Kevin McLaughlin, the Vermont municipal liaison, and he’ll post your offer of space. You can also pop on the VerWriMos Facebook page. The national organization will happily work with you to enrich the Nano experience at your library! Check out their Library Outreach Guide.

Are you thinking about joining in the crazy-pants writing fun? Do it! I’m taking a break this year, but I can’t recommend it enough for folks who a) need an impetus to get writing and/or b ) just enjoy embarking on wild journeys. Maybe novel writing isn’t your thing (it isn’t mine, I always disregarded the word Novel and replaced it with Non-Fiction, which is evidently a widely recognized rebellion). Many other challenges have been born of NaNoWriMo, and they aren’t all about writing. I’m considering a couple that aren’t even on the list, including Digital Writing Month (DigiWriMo) and Academic Writing Month (AcWriMo). Pick your poison.

Helen Linda
VLA News Editor/Editorial Committee Chair
NETSL President
Systems & Tech Services Librarian, Goddard College

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My Two-Thirds Book Challenge 2011/12 – Book 26

Paying For It by Chester Brown

I gave this 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads

I enjoyed this graphic novel way more than I expected to. It’s not even that I agree with the author’s point of view — in most cases I just don’t — but he is totally committed to exposing himself with as much honesty and candor as is available. I really appreciate the effort. The story, like the drawing style, is simple but effective even for such complicated subject matter. Though he addresses this in the notes and it makes sense, I am still a little bothered by how one-dimensional the ladies are in the story. I also found I liked the story more before I read the extensive notes that only served as an extended diatribe that I wasn’t really in it for. But, those two things aside, I think anyone would benefit from giving this one a go. If nothing else, it will force you to think about this stuff, and it’s important!

 

My Two-Thirds Book Challenge 2011/12 – Book 25

Shizuko’s Daughter by Kyoko Mori

I gave this 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads

I’m really not sure how to review this book. Everything I write sounds trite. I loved it, and it’s a wonderful story about families in the evolving cultural landscape of Japan. It’s also about being an outsider, being a little different, in a world that doesn’t seem to have a lot of room for that kind of thing, but it has more room than you would expect. It’s about complicated families. It’s a YA novel but it doesn’t feel like one.