Writing For Meaning- Vanessa Grant
October 19, 2020
Last year Vanessa joined Harbourfront Librarian Casey for an incredible book club focusing on Romance Tropes and we had the chance to interview her about her writing process. We are so grateful to have her on board as a facilitator for our National Novel Writing Month virtual workshop!
Whether raising her children while living in a lighthouse or teaching accounting at a local college, Vanessa always managed to make time for her passion…writing! She has both creative and practical advice for all levels of writer. Don’t hesitate to join us and hit your writing goals this year!
“Write something that means something to you!” -Vanessa Grant
WHAT IS NaNoWriMo?
“National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November.
Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel. You may know this mass creative explosion by the name National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
We have created a Facebook Group and we came up with a list of possible topics, questions, and concerns that could be addressed in short virtual workshops right in our Facebook Group! If this sounds like something you are interested in- JOIN HERE
This list is just a starting point, to stimulate YOU to tell us where you want help.
- how to sign up for NaNoWriMo
- “I don’t think I can do this. I’ve never finished a thing before.”
- Time management tips
- How do I motivate myself
How to plan/plot/organize a book - Cliches and tropes
- “Oh, God! I need to research this”
- Where do good stories come from? How can I “spark” my own story so it feels real to the reader?
- Only group members can see what you post here, so don’t be shy
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of writing a novel…you might want to think about this quote from poet Robert Browning, suggesting that, to achieve anything worthwhile, a person should attempt even those things that may turn out to be impossible.
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
