November is National Novel Writing Month

Got an idea for a novel in the back of your mind? There's no better time to commit to putting it all on paper than November, which has been celebrated as National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short) for the past fifteen years. The goal is simple enough: on November 1st, participating writers work towards a goal of 50,000 words to be completed by November 30th at 11:59 PM. The NaNoWriMo Homepage has more information, and also features hints on getting started, a community to encourage you, and more.

You'd be surprised at how many famous novels got started through this celebration of writing. Here are a few you might recognize from our shelves:


WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen

Told in retrospective, Water for Elephants follows a young man remembering his time in the circus during the Great Depression. This was also turned into a film of the same name in 2011.

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

When Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of the fact that they both want something more.






THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

Waging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways.





THE DARWIN ELEVATOR by Jason M. Hough

In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet's refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator--created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders--emits a plague-suppressing aura. Book one in a trilogy.







FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, immersed themselves in the series when they were kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving. Her sister has grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. Now that they're going to college, Wren has told her she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone, and can't stop worrying about her dad. Can she do this?



Think you've got what it takes to finish a novel this month? Who knows - maybe you'll be on this list someday.