USFSP senior Denia Angelino began writing her first novel in June 2014. Although time management and writer’s block caused her to put the manuscript on hold, she recently found inspiration from National Novel Writing Month, an event that takes places every November.
Student participates in National Novel Writing Month, an international event that challenges writers to create a 50,000-word story during November.
For USF St. Petersburg senior Denia Angelino, writing a novel is more than just a hobby to cram in between psychology classes and her shift at California Pizza Kitchen.
Instead, it is a passion she takes pride in, a form of catharsis, a way to sort through the past.
“Writing makes me see things differently,” said Angelino, who first fell in love with the craft in the third grade.
“Sometimes, it’s like I slow down the moment to visualize all the details and observe my surrounding environment. It has made me more observant and appreciative of memories.”
In fact, it was her memories, specifically those regarding a past relationship, that inspired Angelino to start writing her first novel one day in June 2014.
Cuba in the Stars is the story of Abe and Eliza, a lovable young couple who get lost in their own world the summer before they begin college.
“They get engaged, plan their lives, and motivate each other to work for their dreams,” described Angelino. “(But) a series of events take place, and their lives change drastically. My novel is about love, romance, heartbreak and staying true to the person you are instead of the person you want to be.”
That same month, Angelino would struggle to continue writing, and would eventually stop altogether. It wasn’t until National Novel Writing Month rolled around this November that she would gather the courage to start writing again.
National Novel Writing Month, or “NaNoWriMo,” is an international event that invites participants to create their own 50,000-word novel during the month of November. Writers can use the event’s official website to create an online profile and interact with other novelists, and are encouraged to upload their completed 30-day manuscripts at the end of the month.
Angelino, who first heard of NaNoWriMo through Twitter, aimed to write a minimum of 1,000 words a day for the project. Although she tried to write as much as possible each day, balancing work and school did not always make the novel-writing process easy.
“It is actually really hard to do,” she said.
“It got to a point where I was writing at night before sleeping, but then I would get so caught up in it that I would not sleep. Now I try to write in my spare time. I try to get my assignments done first and then take a break and write for maybe an hour. When I work I don’t typically write. It’s hard to find a balance.”
And that’s not even mentioning the ominous enemy of every aspiring writer: the dreaded writer’s block.
“I have had writer’s block for a few days up to a whole year,” said Angelino.
“For the most part, the right music will inspire me to write. There are times when my dreams will do the trick, or maybe I’ll run into a long-lost friend.”
A timeless poet can also prove a good source for reigniting that spark of creativity.
“Robert Frost is one of the authors who inspires me to keep writing,” she said. “When I read his poetry, I feel emotion, and not every author is able to convey that in me. I always try to incorporate emotion into my free writes.”
Although the close of November also means the end of this year’s NaNoWriMo, its departure doesn’t mean that Angelino is going to stop writing.
“I think (NaNoWriMo) is a great motivator to anyone who needs that extra push to keep writing,” she said.
“It has definitely pushed me to write more consistently, and it reminded me that writing can be a part of my every day if I make the time for it. The important thing is to just write.”
And just writing is what Angelino adores.
She would love to see Cuba in the Stars get published, and one day, when the chaos of writing that 50,000-word draft dies down, she hopes to expand her book into a series.
“There are no boundaries when it comes to writing,” said Angelino.
“I owe it to myself to finish this novel. My main reason for completing it is myself. I want to stay true to my passion, and say that I’ve written a novel.”
