i want what they have</3

February is Black History Month! Of course, history isn’t just something that happened a long time ago, it’s what we create every day. Today, NaNoWriMo Community Manager Chanda Briggs is here to talk about celebrating Black creativity:

I have been with NaNoWriMo for almost two years now, as the Community Manager. In that time, I can honestly say I have enjoyed the most growth, trust, and the most ability to apply my range of skills and passions than I have in the whole of my adulthood. As a Black woman, I can’t tell you how elusive that experience can be. There is certainly no shortage of talent among Black people, and if nothing else, 2020 was a year in which so much of this talent was showcased.�?

When I was young, I was a passionate poet. I wrote with a feverish abandon that seems to be rarer as I get older, but I was hesitant to share my work with anyone, lest the words so lovingly scribbled from the depths of my soul be considered unworthy by a reader. It took quite a bit of encouragement from a mentor of mine to allow him to read them, and he was the first person to tell me I was a good writer. That simple validation changed my life, so I know the importance of encouragement and even more so, of community support. This is what I love most about NaNoWriMo and the work we do.�?

When we feel free to write, no matter what type of writing it is, we are telling a story about ourselves: our interests, our ability to analyze and catalyze ideas, our hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. For BIPOC, it is all-too-common for the overarching societal narrative to be that our ideas, perspectives, and stories are unimportant, and have no place in the broader narrative of our world. For a long time, it was believed that there was no audience for these either. Both of these are simply untrue.�?

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It’s important to take breaks when you’re writing so that you don’t get blocked. Here are some helpful hints by Young Writers Program Participant Cozetta J!

As we all know, writer’s block is no fun. Writer’s block is when you want to keep writing, but you feel like you can’t. Like the words and the inspiration won’t come. Let’s go back to when you were first starting to write your book. Your novel was doing great. The plot was progressing, and your characters were thriving. You were so excited about getting your novel started, and you couldn’t wait till you had it finished and on your shelf; possibly even published!�?

But then, all of a sudden, you realize that your plot went by too fast, or you got ahead of yourself and you began writing about things that weren’t supposed to happen till a while later in your book. You realize that your book is a mess. Disgusted, you stop writing your novel, and you move on to other things. Everyone keeps telling you to “not give up!”, or “don’t stop writing!” which are two very important things to do. But sometimes, you need a break from writing. There is such a thing as writing TOO much in too little time. I’m not saying that it can’t be done, just that it could give you the dreaded writer’s block. But can you really avoid getting it? Well, I am sorry to say that you can not. It’s almost like your brain just freezes and says, “This isn’t fun anymore,” and so you stop writing your novel.

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Ready to pitch your novel to the pros? Here’s a message from The Book Doctors to tell you how!

You wrote your 50,000 words (or close!). You’re a winner. You felt the high. Now what are you going to do with your precious manuscript? That’s where we, The Book Doctors, come in.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pitchapalooza, here’s the skinny: You get 250 words to pitch your book. Twenty pitches will be randomly selected from all submissions. We will then critique the pitches during a live webinar on March 13, 12PM PT, so you get to see what makes a great pitch. At the end of the webinar, we will choose one winner from the group.

The winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for their manuscript.

Beginning February 1, 2021, you can email your pitch to nanowrimo@thebookdoctors.com. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR PITCH, JUST EMBED IT IN THE EMAIL. Include your title and your name at the top of your pitch. All pitches must be received by 11:59PM PT on February 28, 2021.

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