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The Office of Letters and Light organizes events where children and adults find the inspiration, encouragement, and structure they need to achieve their creative potential. Our programs are web-enabled challenges with vibrant real-world components, designed to foster self-expression while building community on local and global levels. Our programs include National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org), in which authors compose a book-length work of fiction in November, and Script Frenzy (ScriptFrenzy.org), in which participants write an entire screenplay in the month of June.

Description:
The Office of Letters and Light is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oakland, CA. In 2007, over 90,000 people around the world will take part in Office of Letters and Light programs.

National Novel Writing Month (www.NaNoWriMo.org) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Since 1999, we've challenged authors around the world to exercise their imaginations by writing a novel in November. In 2006, we had over 79,000 adult participants, and 15,000 children and teens taking part through our youth program. Unlike most writing contests, National Novel Writing Month has neither judges nor prizes; everyone who reaches his or her word-count goal by November 30th is celebrated as a winner.

In June, 2007 the Office of Letters and Light launched Script Frenzy. Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants attempt the creatively daring feat of writing an original, full-length screenplay—or stage play—in a single month. Spurred by a wild deadline and buoyed by a community of countless other writers, Script Frenzy participants can't be bothered with self-doubt—or editing. They're too busy writing by the seat of their pants, typing out beautiful, flawed stories that no one else could have dreamt up.

Just like NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy charges no fee to participate; there are also no valuable prizes awarded or "best" scripts singled out. Every writer who completes the goal of 20,000 words is victorious and awe-inspiring and will get a Script Frenzy Winner's Certificate and web icon proclaiming this fact. Even those who fall short of the word goal will be applauded for making a heroic attempt. Really, you have nothing to lose—except that nagging feeling that there's a script inside you that may never get out.

Both the NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy programs have youth-based websites that give teachers, students, and 12-and-under authors a safe and kid-oriented place to spend an exhilarating month bashing out their books. Unlike the main adult program, the Young Writers Program participants could choose whatever word-count goal they or their teachers thought reasonable, and all schools participating in the program received special artist-designed certificates for participants and winners, along with motivational stickers, buttons, and posters from National Novel Writing Month.

History:
The Office of Letters and Light began in Oakland as an unincorporated association called National Novel Writing Month. Founded by freelance writer Chris Baty, the National Novel Writing Month challenge began with 21 participants, all of whom pledged to write a 50,000-word novel in July, 1999. The event stressed completion and fun over perfect prose, and had neither judges nor prizes (save the satisfaction of having completed the month-long challenge). The largely Bay Area participant could keep up with each other's word-counts online, but they also met in cafes, libraries, and each others homes to work on their manuscripts.

When the event moved to November for its second year, National Novel Writing Month became international in scope. It also launched the first of several subsequent full-featured websites where participants could chart their progress through author profiles, chat with and cajole other writers in the online forums, and find out about National Novel Writing Month events in their area. That second year, participation in National Novel Writing Month leapt from 21 to 140 participants.

By 2004---the year the organization added a component specifically directed at youth---National Novel Writing Month had grown to include 42,000 participants, with over 200 volunteer-run chapters in 20 countries around the world. Between weekly pep talks from staff and the daily writing advice dispensed on the forums, productivity soared, and nearly 6000 official winners crossed the 50,000-word finish line, validating their word counts by uploading a version of their novels to the organization's website by November 30th.

In 2005, the event moved its Young Writers Program to a separate website. Fifty-nine thousand children and adults signed up for the challenge this year, and over 9,000 won.

In 2006, Chris Baty and the founding board members created the Office of Letters and Light, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the goal of administering National Novel Writing Month, and launching new programs based on the National Novel Writing Month model. Plans were immediately put in place for Script Frenzy, a screenplay-in-a-month challenge, which launched in June, 2007. Like National Novel Writing Month, Script Frenzy has a separate youth and classroom component, where young writers will receive special guidance and instruction, and have access to online message boards where they can exchange ideas and encouragement.

Contact person: Tavia Stewart, Office Manager, (510) 628-0327, (email)
Office fax number: (510) 380-5220

Address:

2101 Telegraph Ave, Suite A Oakland, CA 94612 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.lettersandlight.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 19th Street BART Station