Sore Fingers, No Sleep, & Lots of Coffee!

Ah, the end of October.  It’s that time when Florida days start getting a little chilly (I’ve been wearing a scarf and sweater), and when we try to prepare ourselves for the impending sugar overload of Halloween.

However, the end of October also means that it’s time to start planning for NaNoWriMo.

What is NaNoWriMo, you ask?  That’s a very good question.  Although it has gained in popularity over the past ten years, many people have still never heard of it.

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, begins November 1st every year.  The goal is to write a 50,000 page novel in the span of one month.  Writers can register at http://www.nanowrimo.org to keep track of their word counts, network with other participants, and get writing tips.

The whole idea is to not let your perfectionism or excuses get in the way, and instead just let your creativity flow.  As it states on the official website, “Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

All who reach the 50,000 word mark by midnight on Novmber 30 are NaNoWriMo “winners,” and wear their badge proudly.  Many post their novels online.  Some continue to tinker with them after the initial 50,000 words and submit them to literary agents.

Need some inspiration?

I recommend Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, or even Strunk’s The Elements of Style.

Happy writing!

**Britta**

In the mood for a literary festival?

My calendar (cell phone, Outlook, At-a-Glance, refrigerator, etc.–how many calendars do I really need?) is prominently circled for the week of November 9-16, 2008.  This marks the start of the legendary Miami Book Fair International.

During this week downtown Miami will host a litany of famous, bestselling authors as well as first-time writers from around the world.  The festival will provide an opportunity for bibliophiles or book-lovers like me to get a chance to meet authors, attend readings and discussions, and even have the kids participate in “young readers” activities! 

The Miami Book Fair will also have a weekend “Street Fair” so visitors can browse over 200 bookseller and publisher exhibits.  Another exciting part of the festival is the “Antiquarian Annex” which showcases rare books and collectibles.

Some of the authors I am eagerly waiting to meet are Brad Meltzer, Joyce Carol Oates, Salman Rushdie, and the permanently tanned George Hamilton.  A first-time writer who has received much recognition is David Wroblewski, author of “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.”  Local authors include Dave Barry, Tim Dorsey, and Carl Hiaasen.  Of course the West Palm Beach Public Library owns many of the titles written by above authors so be sure to check ‘em out before you visit the festival!

So many authors, so little time…

Theresa

Time to Get Away?

It’s still hot and sticky weather in South Florida and the mosquitoes are out in full force.  Boy, am I glad that I’m going to be out of the state on vacation next week.

If you haven’t been into the library lately, you might not know that we’ve got a fantastic travel section right inside the front door.  We have travel guides from a wide variety of locales both inside and outside the US, and in our audiobooks we have language instruction on CD.

Here are a few other travel resources you might find helpful:

• Travel.State.Gov
• Lonely Planet
• Travel Channel
• New York Times Travel Page
• Expedia
• Cheap Tickets
• Orbitz
• Travelocity

If the economy has you down and there’s no vacation in sight, you may want to escape through a book!  I’ve recently visited Bibliotravel and had a great time finding books that would take me away to places both domestic and exotic.  I settled on Secret Father by James Carroll, a tale set in pre-Wall Berlin.  I plan to take it on the airplane.

**Britta**