Neighborhood: Astoria (lifelong resident) It gets you out of your head a little bit.” “What’s cool about NaNoWriMo is that it forces you to write the book. Literary inspiration: “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith currently reading a lot of nonfiction, such as “Alexander Hamilton” She writes very feminist narratives, so I would like to sort of put a more fantastic spin on that.”Ĭareer: Book designer at Penguin Random Houseįavorite local writing spot: My apartment “For this year’s novel, even though it’s science-fiction, I’m trying to sort of be inspired by Natsuo Kirino. Plotter/Pantser: Plotter, but this year her work will be “a little more freeform than usual” - “I’m going to jump off of a short story I started a while ago and see where it goes,” she said. Clarke magical realism like Haruki Murakami Literary inspiration: Older science-fiction like Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. A “pantser,” on the other hand, just gets started and continues writing “by the seat of his/her pants,” without plotting out the story.Ĭareer: Tailor for television at Kaufman Astoria Studiosįavorite local writing spot: My kitchen table If someone is a “plotter,” that means, as you might imagine, that the writer plans out how the story will unfold. “It’s a good challenge to set for yourself.”Įditor’s notes: If a year is boldface, the writer “won” NaNoWriMo that year that is, he or she reached the 50,000-word goal. “I think it’s a great experience and something that people should try whether or not they consider themselves to be writers,” Jakubowski said. One western Queens participant said she would recommend November novel-writing to others as a way to stretch their creative muscles: “I have been going to Socrates Sculpture Park for my entire life, and I really like the atmosphere of the neighborhood.” “The artistic community is fantastic,” said lifelong Astoria resident Devin Mandelbaum. Since western Queens is home to so many creative types, it’s no wonder you’ll find wrimos here. “I would actually like to get involved more in the writing community, because I didn’t realize until I started doing, maybe in the last year, that there were meetups and things happening in Astoria, so I’d definitely like to get involved more in that,” said lifelong Astoria resident Michelle Ruggieri, who will be participating in NaNoWriMo for the third year in 2016.
The YouDoYou sessions have a suggested donation of $10, and you can sign up at .Ī lot of wrimos find the community aspect of NaNoWriMo to be the best part of it, since writing is normally a solitary activity. Come fight the battle together,” wrote Fitzsimmons, who teaches monthly creative writing classes at the Astoria Bookshop. “The hardest thing about writing is to put your butt in the seat and DO IT. She added extra sessions in November specifically with wrimos in mind. Additionally, local writer and teacher Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons regularly hosts her YouDoYou Writers Salon, which she describes as “a study hall for adults,” in her living room in Astoria.