Students Prepare for National Novel Writing Month

Several dozen Harvard College students are preparing to put pen to paper as participants in November’s National Novel Writing Month, an annual campaign that encourages writers to craft an entire novel in a single month.

Kathryn J. Gundersen ’17, event chair of the Harvard College Writers’ Workshop, said that the challenge has attracted about 20 to 30 undergraduates from a variety of concentrations.

The organization held an introductory meeting for participants last week, inviting them to weekly, two-hour writing sessions that will offer an opportunity to work on and discuss drafts. In mid-November, the workshop will also host its staple “writers’ all-nighter” in Lowell House Bell Tower for “NaNoWriMo” participants and non-participants alike.

“Our main goal is to provide a support network for people participating, because writing can be lonely sometimes,” Gundersen said. “It’s always easier to do ‘NaNoWriMo’ when you have other people around you doing it, too.”

Harvard College Writers’ Workshop Treasurer Eric J. Juarez ’17, a two-year “NaNoWriMo” veteran, emphasized the importance of planning in advance and maintaining a regular schedule in order to succeed.

Having completed the challenge in high school, Siobhan S. B. McDonough ’17 said she plans to participate for the first time at Harvard this year, calling the monthlong project an opportunity to “finally develop all those creative ideas you have.”

With the daunting task of composing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, students credit the explicit deadline for pushing them to allot hours to personal writing amid the demands of other commitments.

“You’ll find that it’s such a fun and rewarding experience, and it’s worth the time that you put in, because a lot of us really have always dreamed of writing a novel but just haven’t been able to find the time,” Gundersen said. “And now you’ve got a time, you’ve got a deadline, you’ve got a word goal count, and there’s no better time like today.”

—Staff writer Nikki D. Erlick can be reached at nikki.erlick@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @nikkierlick.