The NaNoWriMo FAQs
First - before we dig into the details - here is why NaNoWriMo is now the curriculum for our entire fall semester:
Now for the FAQs:
Q: What is NaNoWriMo?
A: National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) is a challenge to writers world-wide to pen an entire novel (50,000 words) in the month of November. It is "thirty days and nights of literary abandon."
Q: But my students are too young! Surely they can't write a novel of 50,000 words in a month!
- it is a powerful writing project (that addresses myriad writing standards);
- it can be the catalyst for addressing reading and literary analysis standards as well;
- it provides many opportunities for students to learn and practice digital literacies and citizenship in the online world;
- it can even help develop students' empathy;
- it turns students into enthusiastic, engaged, thoughtful writers AND readers.
Now for the FAQs:
Q: What is NaNoWriMo?
A: National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) is a challenge to writers world-wide to pen an entire novel (50,000 words) in the month of November. It is "thirty days and nights of literary abandon."
Q: But my students are too young! Surely they can't write a novel of 50,000 words in a month!
A: True! 50,000 words is a serious challenge for adult writers! But the Young Writers Program (YWP) of NaNoWriMo offers tips to help students choose appropriate word goals no matter their age, making the NaNoWriMo challenge accessible to all.
Q: But a NOVEL, really? My students hate to write!
A. Do your students hate to write, or do they hate to write when teachers tell them what to write? The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that students choose the genre, characters, plot line, conflicts -- they have all power and control over their writing! And then they rapidly build their writing skills because they are fully engaged in crafting a lengthy story that they want to write. Check out these 8th graders' enthusiastic responses to NaNoWriMo:
A. Do your students hate to write, or do they hate to write when teachers tell them what to write? The beauty of NaNoWriMo is that students choose the genre, characters, plot line, conflicts -- they have all power and control over their writing! And then they rapidly build their writing skills because they are fully engaged in crafting a lengthy story that they want to write. Check out these 8th graders' enthusiastic responses to NaNoWriMo:
|
|
|
Q: But I've never written a novel! How could I possibly help my students do that?
A. The YWP provides all kinds of support for teachers and students, including lesson plans, workbooks, and online resources throughout the entire month of November (and beyond).
Q: OK, that sounds pretty good. But I'm still wondering if my students would be willing to write that much for a whole month. How do I motivate them?
A. The YWP provides all kinds of support for teachers and students, including lesson plans, workbooks, and online resources throughout the entire month of November (and beyond).
Q: OK, that sounds pretty good. But I'm still wondering if my students would be willing to write that much for a whole month. How do I motivate them?
|
|
A: Motivation is something NaNoWriMo knows a lot about! They provide buttons, stickers, and posters so your students can chart their progress, 10% of their novels at a time. (Yes, middle schoolers still love stickers!) The website also calculates each writer's ongoing word count with a graph of their progress towards their goals. My students LOVE this feature!
But here's the best motivation of all! Students may publish their novels through Blurb.com, which means their books can be sold on Amazon! Now that's a sweet motivation, don't you think?
Novels by Laura's students are in her classroom library.
Here's another idea: maybe your administration would be willing to offer some additional motivation. My principal visited my classes and told them she was going to join NaNoWriMo, too, so she would learn to write a novel with them. She also promised a pizza party to all students who met their goals, and she joined us in class to work on her novel with us. They loved that!
Q: Now you've got my attention! Published copies of my students' writing? Adults on campus who write with them? Very cool! But here's a catch -- what about the state-mandated Common Core Standards?
A: Yes, NaNoWriMo is Common Core-ready! Go here for novel-writing curriculum that is tied to those CCS.
Learn more about NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program from these podcasts:
Q: Now you've got my attention! Published copies of my students' writing? Adults on campus who write with them? Very cool! But here's a catch -- what about the state-mandated Common Core Standards?
A: Yes, NaNoWriMo is Common Core-ready! Go here for novel-writing curriculum that is tied to those CCS.
Learn more about NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program from these podcasts:
- reThinkELA
- Talks with Teachers
- National Writing Project
- and from this PBS Learning Media webinar:
- and from this Educator Innovator webinar:
- And from this KQED Mind/Shift video:
