purchasing adult fiction books, movies and cd audiobooks. Each month I pour over a multitude of resources pointing me to the best of new fiction. Not only am I amazed at the number of choices each month, I’m awed that people continue to imagine new content, engage in the writing process and complete great works. I’m certain I am not alone when I say, “Please keep the stories coming!” The library can play an important, central part in creative lives and has many offerings to support your writing journey.

Connecting people with information is one way the library offers support. You may know that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.) NaNoWriMo began in 1999 as a challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Now hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year begin to write, determined to end the month with a first draft. Today NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) that “provides the structure, community, and encouragement to help people use their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds–on and off the page.” Go to https://nanowrimo.org/ to join a group and discover writing resources.

Of course the library has books–and I’ll list some later–but a lesser known resource offered by the New Ulm Public Library (NUPL) is Creativebug (https://www.creativebug.com/lib/new-ulm ). When you create an account with your library card, you have free access to thousands of award-winning art and craft lessons taught by recognized design experts and artists. The class “Treasure Hunt Your Writing Style” taught by illustrator and art/literary agent Lilla Rogers “will introduce you to a plethora of techniques and genres to jumpstart your writing practice. Lilla also shares some agent tips…for how to pair your art and writing for opportunities to monetize your work, as well as examples of published books, decks and journals that effectively use writing and art together.” Or try “Get Unstuck: 30 Days of Overcoming Your Creative Block.” “Feeling creatively blocked can be so frustrating. You know you want to create something, but what? Or you have an idea of what you want to do but your hands are just not cooperating with your head. Danielle Krysa, a.k.a. The Jealous Curator, walks you through a multitude of processes and techniques that will help you become creatively unstuck.”

If you like ebooks Libby, the free app that allows access to books with your library card, offers writing help, too. “Escaping Into the Open: The Art of Writing True” is “an inspiring, practical handbook on the joys and challenges of the writing life by renowned author Elizabeth Berg. This invaluable resource is a true and constant friend to all writers, no matter their stage of development.” Or try the intriguing title “Now Write! Screenwriting: Screenwriting Exercises from Today’s Best Writers and Teachers” by Sherry Ellis. “[This] essential handbook featuring never-before-published writing exercises from the acclaimed screenwriters of Raging Bull, Ali, Terminator 2, Fame, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Lost and many other hit films and television shows. No other screen writing book offers advice and exercises from this many writers of successful, iconic films.”

And as promised, here is a short list of writing books in print, offered at NUPL:

“Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer: a Six-Week Artist’s Way Program” by Julia Cameron. “Over the course of six weeks, Cameron carefully guides readers step by step through the creative process.”

“Refuse to be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in three Drafts” by Matt Bell. “They say writing is rewriting. So why does the second part get such short shrift? This book will guide you through every step of the novel writing process, from getting started on those first pages to the last tips for making your final draft even tighter and stronger.”

“Tell It Like It Is: A Guide to Clear and Honest Writing” by Roy Clark Peter “[A] succinct and practical guide to writing with clarity, honesty, and conviction. By analyzing stellar writing samples from a diverse collection of public writers, Clark highlights and explains the tools journalists, scientists, economists, fact-checkers, even storytellers use to engage, inform, and hook readers, and how best to deploy them in a variety of contexts.”

“Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit That Lasts” by Bec Evans and Chris Smith

“In this useful guide, writing coaches Evans and Smith offer advice for developing a successful writing practice … This entry advances a refreshingly honest approach to writing–it isn’t supposed to be easy, and mistakes are part of the process–and the authors’ upbeat tone will cheer on readers. Writing pros and amateurs alike will be eager to start typing.”

“Write For Your Life” by Anna Quinlend. “In this clarion call to pick up pen and find yourself from New York Times bestselling author Anna Quindlen shows us how anyone can write, and why everyone should.”

“On Writing: a memoir of the craft” by Stephen King “The author shares his insights into the craft of writing and offers a humorous perspective on his own experience as a writer.”

When your novel is complete, ask staff at the library about the publishing tools offered by the Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project! (https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/)

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday to Thursday 9:30 a.m.- 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The library closes early at 5 p.m., Wednesday, November 22 and is closed Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24 for Thanksgiving.