Elizabeth Bishop has been writing books since the 1970s. The Sedona-based playwright, poet and novelist has been writing so consistently that she now comes out with multiple books in a year.
While she has recently focused on her poetry, working on what she calls an “Oracle Book” — a book with a poem for every day of the year — this November, she is returning to novels as part of National Novel Writing Month. She has had the idea for a story about a wedding brewing in her mind for a while.
“Everyday something happens. You can make a story out of everything,” Bishop said. “I try to write a circular kind of novel, which means I come back to the same place I started.”
NaNoWriMo, as it is often called by enthusiasts, is an annual event that has happened worldwide every November for the past two decades, encouraging writers of all skill levels to put aside whatever has blocked their writing time and spend one month writing a full 50,000 word novel from beginning to end. Some of those novels are forgettable first attempts that never get read by anyone, while others have become blockbusters and even adaptations into hit movies.
It is a social event, getting writers motivated by connecting them with peers facing the same gauntlet.
This year, the Cottonwood Public Library is seeking to become a hub for that cooperative zeal. It is encouraging writers to get involved in writing this year by becoming an official “Come Write-In” location, welcoming writers to work on their manuscripts there and hosting several virtual events throughout the month.
A large display near the circulation desk for the event includes guides for writers as well as examples of successful books that grew out of NaNoWriMo projects, such as Rainbow Rowell’s “Fangirl” and Sara Gruen’s “Water For Elephants.”
“It’s a way to connect with the community,” said Cottonwood Library Assistant Elizabeth Kruger Hansen, who is spearheading the library’s participation this year. “Writing communities are always in libraries and we haven’t done anything for them recently. I definitely wanted to celebrate that, because what is a library without books or authors?”
Hansen is herself participating in NaNoWriMo and is hoping to finish her first book in several years. Under the pen-name Jalex Hansen, Hansen has published five books out of a seven book dystopian young-adult science fiction series called “Lux.” She is hoping that this month, especially with the added motivation of the library, she can write the sixth, getting close to the finale that her fans have been hoping for.
“I’m not good at finishing anything, so I’m excited to commit to something strongly enough that I can see it through to the end,” Hansen said. “I owe it to the people who have stuck by me. I have fans and I’m excited to give it to them.”
Library Supervisor Jamie Shea will be making her debut attempt at a novel — a historical fiction about Renaissance Italy, due to her interest in Leonardo da Vinci.
“I’ve never written at all before, but now I’ve found an interest in actually trying to write something because of how much fun and passion Elizabeth has displayed for NaNoWriMo,” she said. “I’m actually going to write 120 pages in the month of November for the first time in my life.”
In addition to NaNoWriMo this month, Saturday, Nov. 7, will be Indie Author Day 2020, held to celebrate writers in the area at the Sedona Public Library, in conjunction with the Cottonwood and Camp Verde libraries.
Although the event will be virtual due to the pandemic, the libraries will host a day of events over Zoom, with local editors and writers talking about how they keep their creativity going and how to get published.
In addition, the libraries are joining together on a soon-to-be-launched online project called “Biblioboards,” allowing not just authors but also artists, musicians, photographers and other creatives to be able to share examples of their work through the library network. This will allow locals to see their works without losing ownership over it or worrying about unsanctioned downloads.
“Bad libraries build collections. Good libraries build services. Great libraries build community,” Sedona Public Library Director Judy Poe said, quoting one of her mentors from college. “We’re uniting the community and getting the word out about what’s going on in the community. The thing that’s really cool about this is that there’s a lot of people who don’t read. But by building a collection of artists and their works and their recipes, and musicians, we’re actually making the library bigger, because we’re not just focusing on having them come in and pull a book off the shelf.”
