The Santa Clarita Public Library is celebrating National Novel Writing Month in November by challenging community members to write a novel in 30 days.  Interested authors of all skill levels have from 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1, until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, to complete a 50,000-word novel.

Throughout the month of November meeting rooms at the Valencia Branch Library will be available on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to authors looking for a quiet, uninterrupted space to work on their novels. Complimentary drinks and snacks will also be provided to help energize authors and keep them focused. Although the meeting room write-ins are optional, authors have the opportunity to win prizes if they choose to participate in person.

The event is part of a campaign called, “NaNoWriMo,” which helps participants track their progress and provides resources for first-time authors to keep motivated.  In the past, NaNoWriMo has resulted in national bestselling books by acclaimed authors like Sara Gruen, who wrote Water for Elephants, which is now a major motion picture film.

This writing marathon is not meant to be a competition, but an innovative way to encourage individuals to complete a seemingly difficult task.  The idea is to inspire first time authors to stop thinking of the pressures of publishing or editing, but to transcribe their novelistic ideas on paper.  There are no judges, no scores, and no fear of rejected drafts.  This event is designed to help writers blast past the creative blocks of fear and perfectionism. After NaNoWriMo, authors are welcome to pursue the editing and rewriting processes.

The word count of all participating authors will be tracked on NaNoWriMo’s Twitter account, @scvnanowrimo, and on Facebook, SCVnanowrimo.  To complete a 50,000-word novel within the 30 day time limit, authors should complete five pages every day.

For more information on National Novel Writing Month, visit nanowrimo.org or call Yuri Kenney, Santa Clarita Library Adult Services Coordinator, at 661-259-8336.