NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It takes place in November each year and is described as 30 days and nights of literary abandon. Does that sound like fun to you?
NaNoWriMo for me ...
I literally put my writing away in boxes when we decided to homeschool our children. Do you wonder why couldn't I write AND home-educate?
When the kids were younger, it went something like this:
ME (parent, teacher, wife) + WRITING = preoccupied, distracted, frustrated, guilty, sad
The combination wasn't good for me as a writer or mother, and one role had to be put on hold. It was an easy choice!
There is a season for everything, and it wasn't the season for me to focus on writing. I dipped my toes into the writing waters a few times in recent years, but quickly discovered the water was still too chilly. There were always other issues we had to deal with more urgently ... fast forward to this year, and the forecast is much more favourable.
Now, perhaps it is the season for me to write a little ... at least for an hour a day during the month of November. With a healthy mix of energy, caution, passion, commitment and prayerfulness, I am doing NaNoWriMo 2013. I am SO excited! I have updated my NaNoWriMo account, gathered my tools and have started to find some time to write each day.
... and NaNoWriMo for my children!
They are coming along for the ride, in the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program. They are keen, Miss 8 and Mr 9, but there will be no pressure. We're enrolled and ready to rock!
I have some excellent resources already, but was nevertheless happy to discover the Lesson Plans NaNoWriMo has provided for teachers. I have chosen the Upper Elementary Curriculum, and will use whatever parts of it I think we will find useful. I have downloaded Student Workbooks. My budding authors like to plan out loud, so I will be keeping a phone or iPad handy to catch their ideas.
Have you ever taken part in NaNoWriMo? Do you think the Young Writers Program is something your children would enjoy?
I have done NaNo & enjoyed it. I didn't realise there was a junior program so my youngest used to do it with me. I supervised pretty closely as you'll know what the forums can be like but she had a ball & it got a non~writer really excited about writing. Probably not for me this year but who knows...?
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful for your daughter to take on NaNo with you. Does she still write? Thanks for your comment, Ganeida. :)
DeleteA couple of years ago I had a non-writer too. I worried he would never write without pain and grumbling (probably mild dysgraphia) ... I am quite relieved and thrilled to have enthusiastic writers now. I haven't been on the NaNo forums much but am glad there is now a children's NaNo so we don't have to negotiate the main forum (I doubt we would try, as they are only 8 and 9).
Let me know if you decide to take it on this year!
She still writes ~ though her primary gift is with music. However NaNo changed her whole attitude. She is double jointed & has bad dysgraphia & would never write anything! He handwriting is still absolutely terrible but her stories are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI would love to do it again as it forces me to write at least 15000 words a day but we are pastoring & most of my writing talent is being deployed in sermon construction. :(
Sorry, too many zeros on that number! Math is so not my thing. :D
ReplyDeleteI was impressed for a minute ... that WOULD have been a lot of words per day!
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