National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel. Participating this year or contemplating it for next year? Have a look at these creative writing resources available at Danville Public Library. For a complete list of NaNoWriMo programs, visit our website at DanvillePublicLibrary.org.
Just Write: Creating Unforgettable Fiction and a Rewarding Writing Life by James Scott Bell
“Half intensive craft workshop and half practical advice on building and sustaining a successful writing practice, Just Write marries craft and technique with encouragement and insider advice. Featuring the best posts written for the Kill Zone blog (a thriller writers’ blog that has appeared on WD’s 101 Best Websites for Writers multiple times) as well as brand-new material, the book will serve as a guide for all fiction writers on mastering the craft and “keeping at it,” no matter what their chosen genre.”–provided by Amazon.com.
Creative Writing Demystified by Sheila Bender
Whether for high school, college or pleasure creative writing, you need to know the basic elements of the craft. Creative Writing DeMYSTiFieD gives you helpful suggestions for evaluating your work for freshness and originality and offers scores of exercises, techniques, samples and websites to access more. The book introduces you to general creative writing terms and craft as well as genre specific terms and craft elements.*
* Description source: Goodreads.com
Stress Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Wellness by Edward A. Charlesworth and Ronald G. Nathan
In language that is easy to understand and in specific steps that are easy to follow, this book presents virtually all the essential ingredients that promote mental and physical well-being.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us.
Moe’s Cafe: 48 Decidedly Different Creative Writing Prompts by Mark H. Larson and Robert S. Boone
GY-9781596470880 So begins Moe’s Cafe, one of 48 innovative and intriguing prompts for student writing. These classroom-tested prompts put students in a place or in front of a character and ask them to describe what they “see.” The thinking, writing, and scribbling they do for the prompts inspires them to create their own stories and poems. After writing 90-word mini-stories, students read a short story or watch a film scene to help them expand on their own creative works. A section of longer readings models writing strategies.*
* Description Source: Goodreads.com
Word After Word After Word by Patricia McLachlan
Every school day feels the same for fourth graders Lucy and Henry and Evie and Russell and May. Then Ms. Mirabel comes to their class—bringing magical words and a whole new way of seeing and understanding.
From beloved author Patricia MacLachlan comes an honest, inspiring story about what is real and what is unreal, and about the ways that writing can change our lives and connect us to our own stories—word after word after word.*
* Description source: Goodreads.com
Write Fantasy Fiction in 5 Easy Steps by Laura Lee McKay
“Divides the creative writing process into five steps, from inspiration to publishable story, and includes in-depth treatment of the fantasy fiction genre with writing prompts”–Provided by publisher.
Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours by Robert C. Pozen
“In Extreme Productivity, Pozen reveals the secrets to workplace productivity and high performance. His book is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by an existing workload-facing myriad competing demands and multiple time-sensitive projects. Offering antidotes to a calendar full of boring meetings and a backlog of e-mails, Extreme Productivity explains how to determine your highest priorities and match them with how you actually spend your time.
Danville Public Library 