As many aspiring fiction writers are aware, National Novel Writing Month is full throttle. A small, nonprofit organization, the Office of Letters and Light, runs the effort known as NaNoWriMo, which has been a tradition since 1999. The goal is to have as many writers as possible commit to write a 50,000-word novel, starting November 1 and finishing by midnight November 30. Anyone who completes the 50,000 words is designated a “winner.” Writers must upload the completed novels for verification of completion and word count. In 2011, more than a quarter of a million writers participated, and 36, 843 of them completed novels. Throughout the month, participants encourage each other and offer tips. Many NaNoWriMo projects were later published by mainstream publishers. Participants must register through the website. See https://www.nanowrimo.org/ for more details.
For inspiration to competing novelists or spectators, DiverseBooks.net searched its inventory for novels and books about writing and writers. Diversebooks.net offers a number of books that can serve as resources for classes on writing or literature.
Of particular interest is the series of books published by the University Press of Mississippi, “Conversations With…” that are compilations of interviews with well-known literary figures. The interviews come from a variety of sources and various periods in the writers’ lives. Among the many writers in this series available on DiverseBooks.net are Toni Morrison ($45, regularly $50), Caryl Phillips ($45, regularly $50), John Edgar Wideman, ($19.80, regularly $22) and many others.
See these web links:
http://diversebooks.net/toni-morrison-conversations-1.html
http://diversebooks.net/conversations-with-caryl-phillips-1.html
http://diversebooks.net/conversations-with-john-edgar-wideman.html
