Time to call up your muses and ask them for a house call. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a program that encourages bibliophiles to compose a 50,000-word manuscript over the next ~30 days.

Seattle is the perfect place to accept such a challenge thanks to lots of literary treasures and writer-friendly spaces to cultivate your passion.

If you’re hoping to work on that future bestseller before the month is out, we'll help you find inspiration.

Set the scene

NaNoWriMo is a global organization, but locals have found success trying its program. Seattle author Jason M. Hough (“The Darwin Elevator”) and Tacoma’s Marissa Meyer (“Cinder”) both published books written during the initiative.

If you’re feeling blocked, take a self-guided tour throughout the city to visit significant literary landmarks that may spark your next brilliant idea.

Get to work

Okay, enough procrastinating. Find a place where you can scribble your masterpiece in peace like:

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum | The private library at Pike Place Market has group NaNoWriMo writing sessions that are free + open to the public. You may even score a rubber duck, a Seattle symbol for rainy day creativity.

Seattle Public Library | Visit one of the library's 27 branches, find a cozy spot, and hunker down.

Lady Yum | The macaron + champagne cafes in Pioneer Square and Bellevue are official NaNoWriMo write-in locations. How sweet is that?

The end is near

Don't worry if you fall behind. Seattle-based NaNoWriMo groups on Facebook and Discord can help keep you on track throughout the month.

Once December arrives, congrats — you’ve finished the Great American Novel. Get yourself a cocktail at the Founders Club, the downtown hotel bar hidden behind a bookshelf. Peruse those titles and know that, perhaps, your work will join them soon.