Aspiring novelists, take note: November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short), whereby writers across the world vow to write a novel (50,000 words) between November 1 and 30. The Office of Letters and Light, NaNoWriMo's sponsoring nonprofit, offers local free events to help writers kickstart their creative juices.
Want in? Here's a lineup of NaNoWriMo events for the Tampa Bay area:
Before you dive head-first into the craziness, check out a kickoff party to see what all the fuss is about:
October 25 • Panera Bread (Bardmoor Village, 10801 Starkey Rd #16, Largo) 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
October 28 • Butler's (2451 Central Avenue) 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Plan your novel at a planning session.
October 27, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m: Starbucks (6575 Central Ave.)
Countdown to NaNoWriMo with local novelists has a St. Pete and a Tampa party on October 31 from 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.:
Denny's (4999 34th St. N., St. Petersburg)
IHOP (910 Spruce St., Tampa)
Bring your laptops, get some coffee or food, and talk about the book you are about to write. When midnight hits, the talk stops and the writing starts.
Join a weekly write-in with like-minded writers.
Saturdays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Barbara S. Ponce Public Library's Quiet Room ( 7770 52nd St., Pinellas Park)
Sundays 3 p.m .– 5 p.m.: Community Cafe (2444 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg)
Mondays 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Panera Bread (2285 Ulmerton Rd., Clearwater)
Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Creative Soul (2425 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg)
Wednesdays, : Barnes & Noble (2501 Tyrone Blvd. N., St. Petersburg) hosted with the Bay Area Writer's League
Wednesdays, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.: IHOP (4199 34th St. S., St. Petersburg)
Friday, November 6, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Kaleisia Tea Lounge (1441 E. Fletcher Ave. #101, Tampa)
Saturday, November 14, 8 p.m. – Midnight at IHOP (910 Spruce Street, Tampa)
Tuesday, November 17, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Panera Bread (13256 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa)
Sunday, November 22, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at University Mall (2200 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa)
Attend the NaNoWriMo Open Mic
Tuesday, November 17, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the St. Petersburg College Gibbs library (6605 5th Ave. N., Saint Petersburg)
The Fourth Annual NaNo Writer's Retreat offers writers a short break from the everyday. From the Friday night arrival until checkout on Sunday, the focus falls squarely on writing.
November 6 – 8 at Chinsegut retreat in Brooksville ($80 for three days and two nights)
The November 7 Safety Harbor Writing Conference will feature local author Laura Kepner, who founded the Safety Harbor Writers and Poets group, as a speaker. The one-day event will have workshops, speakers and book signings. $75, Safety Harbor Public Library
