If you feel ready to write, we’re here.

You can now announce your writing project for Camp NaNoWriMo in July! To be honest, we know that you might not be feeling inclined toward writing or creativity right now. Many of us are angry, and sad, and doing the hard work of examining our hearts and/or the hearts of the people around us.

There’s also some incredible hope and creativity on display, as people imagine a better world: with less cruelty and more inclusivity, less despair and more joy, less individualism and more community. We’re inspired by the many Black activists and community organizers who’ve been doing this creative, generative work for years, and who are providing a language for us all to use to imagine a different kind of future. They’re showing us that—alongside empathy, listening, and direct action—creativity and imagination are essential skills. And like any skill, they get stronger and easier to wield with practice.

If you have the time, energy, and mental space to flex your imagination and use it to write, we hope that we can be helpful to you. If not, please take care of yourself and know that we’ll be here when you’re ready to turn your creativity to your stories.

Learn more about Camp NaNoWriMo.

June is also Pride month! 

We love and support the many LGBTQIA+ writers who are essential and cherished members of the NaNoWriMo community. Here are a few resources you can check out to help Black queer and trans folks in our broader communities:

In honor of the lives of Monika Diamond, Tony McDade, and Nina Pop, you might consider supporting organizations that support black, trans people if you can, including: The Okra Project, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and/or the Black Trans Travel Fund.

If you’re looking for more novels to read, author Kacen Callendar shared a list of LGBTQ+ YA books written by black authors on Twitter. I’m particularly excited to read Kacen’s newest book, Felix Ever After.

Here’s a list of books by Black authors of queer lit that you can buy from Black-owned bookstores around the US!

Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? is available for free as an ebook from Haymarket Books. In a collection of reports and essays, it calls for a re-imagining of who we rely on to keep communities safe.

If you’re a queer Wrimo yourself, check out our LGBT+ forum and say hi if you’d like! (If you’re not queer but would like to check these forums out, please remember you’re a guest, and it’s probably a great opportunity to practice listening, learning, and waiting to be invited into the conversation.)