Meaghan Gerard cheerleads for NaNoWriMo
Photo by Anais Corrales
Written by Anais Corrales
When Meaghan Gerard tries to explain how she gets inspired to write, she opens her mouth as if she has a lot to say, then closes it. Her bright blue MacBook perches precariously on her knee and her round face suddenly scrunches up in thought.
“The idea that writers stare at a field of butterflies or look up into the night sky and are suddenly inspired to write is nonsense,” she says. “I try to remember that no one can tell the story that I can. I am the only one. I have a responsibility to get it out there.”
Gerard freelances when she’s not working as a staff writer at Savannah State University. She moved to Savannah in 2003 from New Hampshire after completing her English degree at Saint Anselm College and got her master’s in cinema studies at SCAD.
In 2011, she attended the Crossroads Writers Conference in Macon, Georgia, where Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, gave a speech.
“His speech was fantastic and made feel like if I didn’t write my darn book, all the puppies in the world were going to cry, or something,” Gerard says. “He convinced me that all writers owe it to themselves to see what they can do.”
The NaNoWriMo organization is a non-profit that supports creative writing programs across the country. The annual National Novel Writing Month event challenges writers to complete a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.
Stacie Gilbert, a fourth-year animation major from Lincolnton, North Carolina, said the most exciting part of NaNo was having a completed story: “Though it may be rough and kind of a mess by the end of NaNo, at least I have something to work with, a story to edit and polish.”
“[The organization] seeks to remind people that anyone can write a novel; they just have to do it,” says Gerard.
Soon after attending the lecture, she decided to take part in NaNoWriMo as a writer before applying for a position as a municipal liaison. The volunteer position required Gerard to supervise 1,206 registered participants in Savannah, 90 of whom she talks to regularly on the Savannah Region’s Facebook page.
First-year film and television major Gus Rachels, from Lexington, Virginia, said the last 1,000 words were the best part of his NaNo experience.
“There’s nothing like the homestretch,” he said.
Gerard is responsible for representing NaNoWriMo and ensuring that local writers have a support network. She spends her mornings moderating the online forums, arranging write-ins and answering participants’ emails. It may be a lot of work for someone balancing two jobs, but Gerard seems excited about her position.
“I’m a cheerleader,” she says. “As an ML, I hope that in some way I helped other writers get their words out.”
Gerard is a self-proclaimed introvert, but has been able to express herself through writing. She describes her childhood as pretty normal, despite being raised in a family of artists, musicians and singers. Gerard became an avid reader at a very young age.
She says, “I was reading real books well before I began kindergarten. Books to me were – and still are – so magical.”
Her bookshelves are filled with the works of Russian author Boris Akunin, as well as a “massive” collection of Sherlock Holmes stories and an antique copy of the “Newgate Calendar.”
There is a small smile on her face as she describes her own writing style.
“I know some popular and respected writers said not to use adjectives and adverbs, but I do. All over the place. I love them and I don’t apologize for it.”
She feels that both established and new writers should take the time to read. According to Gerard, reading what you love will help spark new ideas.
The freelancer isn’t deterred by writer’s block. Her advice to writers struggling to get their novels out is simply to ignore it. She feels a little change of perspective will help get the words flowing.
“Change your outfit. Change the internet radio station,” she says. “These are all little things, but they acknowledge that an external setting is getting in the way and you’re not going to let it stay that way.”
Gerard feels that anyone interested in writing or who has ever thought about writing a novel should register for the event, to meet people who are like them as well as for a sense of accomplishment.
National Novel Writing Month may only officially happen once a year, but the drive to accomplish a personal feat should inspire writers year-round. Gerard says the event has a positive affect on Savannah’s writers.
“We all need the reminder that writing doesn’t actually happen in a vacuum,” she says. “Seeing others struggle and succeed in similar circumstances is a reminder and an inspiration.”