Nanowrimo supports, encourages creative writing
Amanda Clay Powers is excited Mississippi University for Women will continue its celebration of Mississippi writers and the creative writing process with a new direction in Fant Memorial Library's “Meet the Author Series” – and she is inviting the Greater Golden Triangle community to participate.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Fant Memorial Library's “Meet the Authors Series” will team up with The W's MFA in Creative Writing Program to kick off a six-week series of events and programming supporting National Novel Writing Month (#Nanowrimo). This national event challenges writers to write a first draft of a 50,000word novel in one month.
Powers, the dean of library services and a professor at The W, said the series will provide an environment to support both new and experienced creative writers who want to work on a novel or other forms of creative writing throughout November. The goal is for the events to engage with The W and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) students, faculty and staff, as well as residents of the Golden Triangle and online participants, and help writers of all levels develop writing skills and strategies.
But Powers wants to emphasize the series isn't only for writers.
“Maybe this isn't your month to sit down and write a book, but maybe you're thinking about creative writing, or maybe you just want to come and listen to some really fascinating authors,” Powers said. “We will not be checking your pages at the door. Everybody is welcome. I definitely don't think you have to be participating in this exciting project to enjoy this series.” She believes the series will provide some writers with the push they need and all participants will learn more about the creative writing process. “The focus is on completing a draft, rather than producing a finished product.”
The first event will kick off at 4:30 p.m. with a panel of creative writers in the GPG Multipurpose Room at Fant Memorial Library. Brandy Wilson (“The Palace Blues”),
Kris Lee (“To Square a Circle”) and John Bateman (“Who Killed Buster Sparkle?”) will provide examples, give advice and talk about the writing and publishing process. That discussion will set the stage for a series of speakers that will include authors Becky Hagenston (“Scavengers” Nov. 7), Terry Lynn Thomas (The Family Secret” Nov. 12), Beth Kander (“Born in Syn”nov. 18) and Deborah Johnson (“The Secret of Magic”publishing workshop Dec. 2).
Powers said The W's Nanowrimo series features readings by the authors from their works, a time for questions and answers, a reception and a book signing.
There also will be a daily writer's retreat from 4-5 p.m. throughout November in the tiered classroom in Fant Memorial Library. The retreat will give participants a quiet place where they can work free of distractions on their creative projects or use the daily prompts for inspiration. The library will issue writing prompts and challenges on its social media pages using the hashtag #Thewwrites. Powers hopes people will use social media to connect with others doing the project and find sources of motivation and commiseration. She hopes the series will provide an inclusive environment for authors, participants and people who want to celebrate the creative process in the Golden Triangle region.
“We're trying to support and encourage creative writing on this campus and in the Golden Triangle community,” Powers said. “The events will allow participants to get a lot of in-depth information from the authors about what it takes to start a project and where they get their ideas and inspiration. It also will help them learn how the authors stay motivated and what they do about writer's block.
“We have such a wonderful, vibrant, creative writing community on this campus with the Welty Symposium and our low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program, our co-sponsor,” Powers said. “We have a spectacular lineup of local authors. Hagenston writes short fiction and is faculty at Mississippi State University. Bateman and Thomas are novel writers in Starkville. Johnson is a novelist in Columbus. Lee and Wilson are right here at The W on the faculty of our MFA program. Lee writes poetry, plays and short fiction, while Wilson is a novelist.”
Powers was also excited to announce that Jacksonnative Beth Kander is flying in from Chicago to participate in the series.
“She is one of our first MFA alums and has published two novels since she graduated, which was just a few years ago. We are really celebrating creativity and the amazing literary tradition in Mississippi and the GTR region. We really feel like this is the perfect place to do it -- in the hometown of Tennessee Williams and the Welty Symposium. Connecting our community with this national celebration is going to be a lot of fun.”