By shannon geisensgeisen@parkrapidsenterprise.com 30 days. 50,000 words. Bam! You’ve got a novel. That’s the essence of National Novel Writing Month, held every November since 1999. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is “a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing,” according to the non-profit’s website www.nanowri mo.org. On Nov. 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30. Marlys Guimaraes of Laporte took the challenge two years ago and again this year, each time successfully writing 1,666 words every day for a month. “The first year was tough,” Guimaraes admits. “It’s like running a marathon. You just push yourself – not writing quality, just quantity, throwing out ideas and plots.” She even fell and broke her arm in November 2012, “but I was determined, trying to figure out how to type with a broken arm.” A registered nurse, Guimaraes retired to Laporte three years ago. She joined the Jack Pine Writers Bloc, verse being a hobby since her youth. “I mostly write poetry,” said Guimaraes. “I love reading and writing it.” A fellow Bloc member challenged her to enter NaNoWriMo. “I really wanted to expand my writing,” she said. “I just wanted a challenge.” Previously, she had taken a couple writing workshops at Bemidji State University and with local writer Jerry Mevissen. “NaNoWriMo challenges your writing styles and experience,” she said. Each year, authors offer encouraging pep talks to NaNoWriMo participants through the website. The 2014 author mentors were Veronica Roth, Tamora Pierce, Brandon Sanderson, Chuck Wendig, Kami Garcia and Jim Butcher. “Valuing enthusiasm, determination and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel,” say organizers. “Our experiences since 1999 show that 50,000 is a difficult but doable goal, even for people with full-time jobs and children. The length makes it a short novel.” Some participants prepare an outline of a story prior to Nov. 1, others take a seat-of-pants approach. Guimaraes said she’s the latter style. “Concept and story are created as I write,” she explained. Her first novel is based on a mind-control setting, exploring how the character can be controlled and how they can escape it. “My novel this year is a take-off from that first novel,” she said, further developing the back story. “I used the same character, different time, different plot.” “It was much easier this year,” she said. “I truly enjoyed it. The discovery of what’s in your mind is what’s most fun.” Now Guimaraes is steeped in the editing process, combining both novels and rewriting a chapter at a time in the hopes of getting the finished book published. “Just as I wrote every day for NaNoWriMo, I plan to be just as consistent with rewriting,” she said.
By shannon geisensgeisen@parkrapidsenterprise.com30 days.50,000 words.Bam! You’ve got a novel.That’s the essence of National Novel Writing Month, held every November since 1999.National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is “a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing,” according to the non-profit’s website www.nanowri mo.org.On Nov. 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30.Marlys Guimaraes of Laporte took the challenge two years ago and again this year, each time successfully writing 1,666 words every day for a month.“The first year was tough,” Guimaraes admits. “It’s like running a marathon. You just push yourself – not writing quality, just quantity, throwing out ideas and plots.”She even fell and broke her arm in November 2012, “but I was determined, trying to figure out how to type with a broken arm.”A registered nurse, Guimaraes retired to Laporte three years ago.She joined the Jack Pine Writers Bloc, verse being a hobby since her youth.“I mostly write poetry,” said Guimaraes. “I love reading and writing it.”A fellow Bloc member challenged her to enter NaNoWriMo.“I really wanted to expand my writing,” she said. “I just wanted a challenge.”Previously, she had taken a couple writing workshops at Bemidji State University and with local writer Jerry Mevissen.“NaNoWriMo challenges your writing styles and experience,” she said.Each year, authors offer encouraging pep talks to NaNoWriMo participants through the website. The 2014 author mentors were Veronica Roth, Tamora Pierce, Brandon Sanderson, Chuck Wendig, Kami Garcia and Jim Butcher.“Valuing enthusiasm, determination and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel,” say organizers.“Our experiences since 1999 show that 50,000 is a difficult but doable goal, even for people with full-time jobs and children. The length makes it a short novel.”Some participants prepare an outline of a story prior to Nov. 1, others take a seat-of-pants approach. Guimaraes said she’s the latter style.“Concept and story are created as I write,” she explained.Her first novel is based on a mind-control setting, exploring how the character can be controlled and how they can escape it.“My novel this year is a take-off from that first novel,” she said, further developing the back story. “I used the same character, different time, different plot.”“It was much easier this year,” she said. “I truly enjoyed it. The discovery of what’s in your mind is what’s most fun.”Now Guimaraes is steeped in the editing process, combining both novels and rewriting a chapter at a time in the hopes of getting the finished book published.“Just as I wrote every day for NaNoWriMo, I plan to be just as consistent with rewriting,” she said.
