Earlier this week some NaNoWriMo participants gathered in Carlson Library’s Dorothy MacKenzie Price Model Classroom to celebrate their month-long achievement:  completing — or attempting to complete — a first draft of a novel.  Although not everyone who set out to “write a novel in 30 days” was successful, many were able to enjoy the satisfaction of having challenged themselves to a month of uncommon and unfettered writing creativity.

Of the approximately 25 participants who initially signed up with the Carlson Library NaNoWriMo group, just a handful reported that they had crossed the finish line – completing the necessary 50,000 words to be considered a “winner” in NaNoWriMo lingo.  Most others completed enough of a story to at least get a taste of the challenge and to obtain a small sense of achievement.  This is no small feat considering how busy the semester gets this time of year.

This year was the library’s first experience with hosting the national event (co-hosted with the UT Writer’s Guild and English Department).  Carlson Library hopes to host future NaNoWriMos.  Do you have a novel in you?