NaNoWriMo :: NaNoWriMo Blog

"And in February 2008, we called Kelli again to ask if any of the students might be interested in having us publish their novels."

"On her way to work last November, Open Books Marketing and PR Director Becca Keaty heard a story on NPR about a group of juniors at George Henry Corliss High School who were participating in NaNoWriMo using donated AlphaSmarts. That day, she called teacher Kelli Rushek (who by then had also been featured in the Chicago Tribune along with a few of the students). A week later, 20 of them boarded the El and made the long trek to the Open Books offices for a write-in session.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/openbooks/sets/72157603154213918/

As the month progressed, we kept in touch with Kelli and the kids. At midnight on November 30, we toasted them (along with everyone else in the room, and in words we might not quite recall now...remember that by then some of us, including Stacy, were going on our 37th hour of writing). And in February 2008, we called Kelli again to ask if any of the students might be interested in having us publish their novels.

http://open-books-press.org

From the incredible Open Books volunteer corps, we found at least one editor for each novelist. Illustrators volunteered to do the covers; the amazing Eric Erickson, a local photographer, saw the announcement and did two photo shoots to produce professional author pictures of each writer. We went to Corliss every week to meet with the students, share their editors' comments, and provide encouragement and help. And on May 30, six months to the day after NaNoWriMo 2007 came to its triumphant close, we celebrated the Corliss novelists with a grand gala book event at 57th Street Books, where they read from their published novels to a standing-room-only crowd and signed copies for all their admirers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/openbooks/sets/72157603963699939/

Did the experience have an unforgettable impact on the Corliss novelists? Do they think that, if they can write a published novel, they can do almost anything (including be the first black female President of the United States)?
Absolutely.

http://blip.tv/file/928171

Some of the Corliss novelists are writing sequels to their first books. Some joined us (and 120,000 other people) at the Printers Row Book Fair to read from their novels at a special session. All are enjoying a well-deserved summer break.

And where will they—and we—be five month from now?
Right back where we started, writing furiously for NaNoWriMo 2008.

—Open Books

Open Books is a nonprofit bookstore, literacy community center, and volunteer corps dedicated to raising awareness about illiteracy, improving reading skills, and spreading the love of books in Chicago and beyond. Their Executive Director Stacy Ratner (Pico on the NaNoWriMo forums) is a six-time NaNoer, so in 2007 they hosted weekly write-ins plus a grand 36-hour final write-a-thon for Chicago Wrimos. For more information than most people would ever want plus a slew of lovely photos, pay them a call at: http://www.open-books.org

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