Aspiring novelists can attend regular write-in events at Cardiff cafes throughout November, as part of National Novel Writing Month
Novelists can meet up with fellow writers at write-in events
A volunteer is aiming to bring Cardiff based writers together for ‘write-ins’ during November, as part of National Novel Writing Month. (NaNoWriMo)
Julie Ann Pope, who serves as one of the Municipal Liaisons (ML’s) for the Wales Region of NaNoWriMo, is hosting write-in events at Cardiff cafes every Wednesday and Sunday this month.
And she is hoping to encourage more writers to come along in an attempt to breathe new life into the NaNoWriMo scene in the city.
“The previous MLs didn’t appear to be very active and my sense is that the region has been left to fester for a while,” she said, “so currently it’s a bit of a struggle to get attendance in the numbers I’ve been hoping for write-ins in Cardiff.”
Julie Ann held regular sessions last year, her first as an ML in Wales, and was able to draw a regular attendance of six people – something she is hoping to build on over the next few years.
And she has already noted an increase in activity on forums and social media this year.
The write-ins last two hours, with fifteen minutes of social time followed by forty-five minutes “head down writing”, before the process is repeated. And Julie Ann is quick to point out the benefits of the sessions.
“Participants tend to be much more productive writing along with others at a set time rather than sitting at home by themselves,” she said.
However, write-ins are not for everyone. Cardiff based blogger Nia Provert, who has participated in NaNoWriMo five times, notes that while she likes the idea of attending one, she is not sure it would be entirely beneficial for her.
She said, “it’d be lovely to chat to other writers, but that’s probably all I’d end up doing and I would never get any words down!”
Some novelists find the words flow more freely when they write alone