It’s been dubbed thirty days and thirty nights of literary abandon. Must be November, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

And while two of those days and nights have slipped away, it’s not too late to participate.

NaNoWriMo challenges individuals to write a 50,000-word novel. (Don’t worry, you can catch up if you're just learning about this now. Register here.)

“If you are just finding out today, you are about 5,000 words behind. But in the grand scheme of trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days, much greater obstacles have been overcome,” said Lissa Staley, adult services librarian. “If you want to write a novel this month, stop reading this article and start writing!”

A positive attitude and likely a few pots of coffee is all people need to get started. NaNoWriMo emphasizes quantity, not quality.

“The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks and write on the fly,” Lissa said.

The library is holding a NaNoWriMo Write-a-thon 1-5pm, Sun., Nov. 15 in the Computer Training Center. Meet like-minded individuals, share your enthusiasm and further your plots in this group-writing environment.

Online write-ins are held Thursdays and Saturdays. Check in is at the Topeka regional forum on NaNoWRiMo.org.

About 50 people have participated in the library’s kickoff events. Currently, 159 writers are registered in the forum for the Topeka area on NaNoWriMo.org.

Each year, about 18 percent of individuals complete the challenge and validate their word count the organization’s website before midnight Nov. 30. More than 30 NaNoWriMo novelists have had their NaNo-novels published.

Be sure to check www.tscpl.org or pick up an edition of our library calendar of events, connectnow, in February and March to look for upcoming programs that will help NaNoWriMo participants edit their novels and self-publish.

For questions or more information, email Lissa, Topeka's NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison, using this form.