As a kick off to the National Novel Writing Month the Irish Writers' Centre is offering 12 participants a place in a free Novel Writing Seminar with Dermot Bolger. The participants will then be given a space in the Irish Writers' Centre to work on their novels during the day for the month of November. To avail of one of the free places just send an email to resources@writerscentre.ie explaining why you would like the place on the seminar and the writing space in the Centre (Max 200 words).

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Writing a Novel But were Afraid to Ask with Dermot Bolger
Friday 29th October: 2.00pm - 4.00pm.

Dermot Bolger presents a discussion and Question and Answer session about the art and the practice of planning, writing and finishing a novel, an insider's look at the twists and turns a novel takes on its journey into being by one of Ireand's best known writers who is the author of ten novels.

To find out more about Dermot Bolger click here >>

Extract From The Official Namo Wrimo Press Release:

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, the world’s largest writing challenge and nonprofit literary crusade. Participants pledge to write 50,000 words in a month, starting from scratch and reaching “The End” by November 30. There are no judges, no prizes, and entries are deleted from the server before anyone even reads them.

So what’s the point? “The 50,000-word challenge has a wonderful way of opening up your imagination and unleashing creativity,” says NaNoWriMo Founder and Executive Director (and eleven-time NaNoWriMo winner) Chris Baty. “When you write for quantity instead of quality, you end up getting both. Also, it’s a great excuse for not doing any dishes for a month.”

More than 500 regional volunteers in more than 90 countries will hold write-ins, hosting writers in coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries. Write-ins offer a supportive environment and surprisingly effective peer pressure, turning the usually solitary act of writing into a community experience. That sense of community even extends beyond the page—so much so that more than a dozen marriages and at least four babies have resulted from NaNoWriMo over the years.

Although the event emphasizes creativity and adventure over creating a literary masterpiece, nearly 60 novels begun during NaNoWriMo have since been published, including Water for Elephants, a New York Times #1 Bestseller by Sara Gruen.

“Writing a novel in a month inspires incredible confidence in seasoned and first-time novelists alike,” says NaNoWriMo Program Director, Lindsey Grant. “Completing a draft of the novel they’ve been contemplating for ages gives participants a tremendous sense of accomplishment and leaves them wondering what else they’re capable of.”

For more information on National Novel Writing Month, or to speak to NaNoWriMo participants in your area visit http://www.nanowrimo.org or contact press@nanowrimo.org.