Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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NaNoWriMo: Students take on a 50k word challenge

Ready, set, write! This November, students at Northwestern University are challenging their creative writing talents by taking part in the National Novel Writing Month.

“This year I’m revisiting a YA project about werewolves – specifically werewolf mobsters in Las Vegas,” said Communication sophomore Amanda Shepherd. “Think Ginger Snaps meets The Godfather in an incredibly campy and fun way.”

Commonly referred to by participants as “NaNoWriMo,” the event is part of a larger tradition and organization founded in 1999. The goal of this project is to encourage writers of all ages from all backgrounds and walks of life, to write 50,000-word novels in a month about anything and everything they might imagine. The deadline for completed works is 11:59:59 p.m. on November 30, according to the group’s Facebook page that describes the event as a “fun, seat-of your-pants approach to writing.”

The effort does not come without some obstacles.

“Despite what you may think, 50,000 words is a lot,” said Medill junior and NaNoWriMo participant Jorona Johnson. “Sometimes – actually a lot of times – you hit walls and just don’t know what to write anymore.”

Luckily, group organizers take these obstacles into account and encourage writers to push through these difficulties for the sake of a rewarding experience, largely through fostering a sense of community and togetherness during the writing process. And upon arriving on campus in 2010 and learning that no such community existed, Shepherd took steps to put one into place.

“I started up the Facebook page, threw up a couple of events and was pleasantly surprised when people showed up and were just as excited as I was!” she said.

The group holds weekly “write-ins” at Norris as well as holding challenges such as a 10,000 word count goal this past weekend. Communities linked to one another through close interactions as well as Internet vehicles help deter procrastination and promote creativity, according to participating students.

“Having a small community at Northwestern acts as a support structure and helps me keep going because I feel like it’s no longer just for me,” said Shepherd. “There are other people who care if I finish, too.”

The community extends into the national sphere with an active forum and Twitter accounts.

“The NaNo community is behind you 100 percent. They have a sister Twitter account where Municipal Liaisons, coordinators or cheerleaders for a certain area, tweet sprint times where you just write and something to add or mention in your story.” Johnson said. “They challenge you with the greatest, most random things, from a pomegranate to your main character seeing themselves in the future. Although you think the ideas are crazy at first, that one item or idea can suddenly jump start your mind and break down the wall you were at.”

Apart from the sense of community these young writers enjoy, many involved in this event describe their choice to join with the program as a means of finding an outlet to express creativity and explore their own interests that might not necessarily align with their daily lives at school or work.

“I’m a journalism major who’ll probably go into that field after college,” said participant and Medill sophomore Margaret Flynn. “I’d love to do creative writing as a side position, and if I ever became successful enough, I’d love to be a full-time writer.”

With the common goals of flourishing as writers and community members, NaNoWriMo writers demonstrate one challenging and enjoyable way to push themselves in hopes of accomplishment.

“I hope to evolve as a writer by participating,” Shepherd said. “I feel like just the act of writing, no matter how ridiculous the plot, helps me develop as a writer.”

– Alyssa Mercado

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NaNoWriMo: Students take on a 50k word challenge