WOU to help new authors craft a novel in one month

Western Oregon University offers a unique approach to writing a novel with their upcoming National Novel Writing Month class offered this fall. The class is based on the popular NaNoWriMo movement, where participants pledge to write 50,000 words in one month.

Dreck is just as acceptable as brilliance in NaNoWriMo.

“The idea is that you cannot have a second draft without a first draft, and the quality of the first draft is secondary to its simple existence," Maren Anderson, the WOU classic instructor said.

Professor Anderson has had personal success with the program, completing it herself last year. She met the required word-count despite obstacles, something only a portion of participants in the international program accomplish.

“That November, I had a 1-year-old child, I hosted Thanksgiving, and I taught three classes," Anderson said. "What NaNo taught me is that if I can write that much in a month with that much going on, I can do it the rest of the year, too.”

Her participation motivated her to incorporate the program into a writing class.

“One week (the NaNoWriMo web site) featured a professor in Southern California who was teaching a NaNo class," Anderson said. "I thought, ‘Hey! I can do that!’”

The class, entitled, “Write Your First Novel in Thirty Days" meets once a week on Tuesday evenings, from 7:30-9 pm, from October 20th through December 1st. An advantage of the course is that a class setting helps provide structure and support to participants.

“I know that there are other people out there who, like me, need deadlines to be productive,” Anderson said.

There is no need to even have a novel in mind before taking the class, just the desire to write one. The first few weeks of the class are dedicated to finding and refining an idea. The classes are portioned into sections entitled ‘Prep,’ ‘Support,’ and ‘I’ve written a novel, now what?’ Cost is unspecified at this time.

Anderson clarifies that the class is not a typical workshop format.

“We might share a little, but the point of the class is to bang out a first draft," Anderson said. "The point of this class is to help people learn how to schedule their lives to make writing a habit so they can be productive writers.”

For more information or register, contact the Division of Extended Programs at Western Oregon University, at 503-838-8483.

Have Books for Lunch or Dessert at Salem Public Library

Salem Public library has announced their new literary line-up for their two popular book clubs, “Books for Lunch” and “Books for Dessert,” and invite the literature-loving community to join in the discussions.

The two groups offer different hours and slightly different fair for participants. “Lunch” which meets at noon on the third Wednesday of each month, explores fiction and non-fiction from any era. “Dessert” describes itself as meeting the needs of working people, and meets first Tuesday evenings to discuss popular titles of the last ten years.

The groups also diverge in attendance, with a lively average of 18-25 participants at Books for Lunch; a more intimate 10-12 participants at Books for Dessert.

Discussing books with other readers can enhance the experience of a novel.

Books are selected through a complicated voting and selection process involving both patrons and library staff. Books for Lunch starts on September 16 with the selection of "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer while Books for Dessert begins on October 6 with Eric Weiner's "Geography of Bliss."

This year’s picks also include discussions of such popular books A Reliable Wife, and Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase of Lincoln’s Killer.

For more information, contact the Salem Public Library or visit their website at www.cityofsalem.net/departments/library.