Archive for the ‘NaNoWriMo’ Category

2018 NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

2018 NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers

On November 1st, if you listen closely, you just might hear the clacking of keyboards and scritch-scratching of pens meeting paper. Why? Because writers of all ages, all over the world, will participate in the annual writing event called NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month.

NaNoWriMo is a 30-day sprint of daily writing. The finish line? To have written your very own novel draft as the calendar flips to December 1st. Writers set a word-count goal (50,000 words for adults, lower word-count for younger writers) and the community spirit of “we’re all in it together” is encouragement for daily writing.

Last year 275 Brave Writers wrote novels in our online classroom, which is hosted on NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program. Combined, our classroom participants wrote 887,963 words! Nearly 900,000 words in 30 days— can you believe that?! We’re so proud!

But of course we hope this year’s participants will blow those numbers out of the water! We’re on the edge of our seats with anticipation of what this year’s classroom will accomplish. We know it’ll be BIG!

Will you join us for this month-long wild writing ride?

To Join the NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers Classroom:

  • Visit the Young Writers Program and sign up for an account.
  • You will be prompted to join a classroom by entering a code. Our classroom code* is: KLLAELZP
  • Our classroom name is NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

*If you already have a YWP account you will join by logging in, clicking on “Dashboard,” and selecting “Join a Classroom.” When in doubt, look for the friendly Viking!

The classroom is private and is only viewed by other members of the Young Writers Program. It is also monitored regularly by NaNoWriMo staff.

We have created our own online classroom where Brave Writers can connect. Brave Writer staff will occasionally check this classroom, but please keep in mind we will not be reading students’ novels, assigning any grades, or determining word count goals. We will check in to see how everyone is doing and provide plenty of cheer-leading!

#BraveWrimos

We like awesome hashtags (and we cannot lie) and we would love for you to use ours: #BraveWrimos. Take us along for your NaNoWriMo ride, whether you’re posting about where you’re writing, taking a photo of your writing snacks or venting about how hard it is to write a NOVEL IN ONE MONTH–we want to know about it! And we want to root for you!

Sign up now!

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Preptober: Get Ready for NaNoWriMo!

2018 NaNoWriMo Preptober

Hello, October! A fresh new month full of costumes, candy collection, pumpkin products galore and, perhaps most importantly, Preptober!

Preptober is the name for the month before NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month. Writers from all over the world plan to write their own novel during the 30 days of November. October is the official novel prep month–if you’re a planner. If you’re a pantser, well, we’ll get to you momentarily!

Before you learn more about Preptober, hop on over to NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program website and join the NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers Classroom where we’ll share writing tips and inspiration throughout October and November… and even give away some fun NaNoWriMo swag (details below)!

To Join the NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers Classroom:

  • Visit the Young Writers Program and sign up for an account.
  • You will be prompted to join a classroom by entering a code. Our classroom code* is: KLLAELZP
  • Our classroom name is NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

*If you already have a YWP account you will join by logging in, clicking on “Dashboard,” and selecting “Join a Classroom.” When in doubt, look for the friendly Viking!

The classroom is private and is only viewed by other members of the Young Writers Program. It is also monitored regularly by NaNoWriMo staff.

We have created our own online classroom where Brave Writers can connect. Brave Writer staff will occasionally check this classroom, but please keep in mind we will not be reading students’ novels, assigning any grades, or determining word count goals. We will check in to see how everyone is doing and provide plenty of cheerleading!

Are You a Planner or a Pantser?

“Planners” like to–you guessed it–PLAN! They like everything about the process leading up to the main event. Planners take comfort in having their novel idea as fleshed-out as possible before November 1st rolls around.

“Pantsers” like to write-by-the-seat-of-their-pants. They find a thrill in sitting down to a blank page on November 1st and creating a novel as it unfolds naturally.

Planners vs. Pantsers is NaNoWriMo’s Great Debate! Which style do you identify with?

[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases,
Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]

Preptober Resources

Books About Writing 

Preschool/Kindergarten

Elementary

Junior High

High School

#BraveWrimos
We like awesome hashtags (and we cannot lie) and we would love for you to use ours: #BraveWrimos. Take us along for your NaNoWriMo ride, whether you’re posting about where you’re writing, taking a photo of your writing snacks or venting about how hard it is to write a NOVEL IN ONE MONTH–we want to know about it!

Snap away and hashtag #BraveWrimos. It will make our Brave Writer hearts happy.

Determine Your Word-Count Goal
Completing your word count is ultimately how you win NaNoWriMo, so take plenty of time choosing a goal that stretches you without breaking you! Here are NaNoWriMo’s suggested word-count goals by grade level:

NaNoWriMo suggested word count goals

Free Novelist Workbooks
NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program offers free Novelist Workbooks tailored to High School, Middle School, and Elementary School writers.

Free Printables
E.A. Deverell has a planning plethora of free NaNoWrimo downloads! Her NaNoWriMo Preptober Schedule is particularly helpful.

Getting Started
Still not sure where to begin? Find out more about getting started, and how NaNoWriMo works for writers.

NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers

Classroom Code: KLLAELZP

Enter for the Chance to Win NaNoWriMo Swag!

NaNoWriMo Swag Giveaway

The swag giveaway runs October 1 – 8, 2018. GIVEAWAY CLOSED.

The Prizes:

  • Bookmarks from Brave Writer & The Young Writers Program
  • Brave Writer Pens
  • YWP “Hold on, I’m Writing a Novel!” Pencils
  • “Imagination Activated” NaNoWriMo Pins
  • Stickers from Brave Writer & NaNoWriMo (great for decorating notebooks!)
  • NaNoWriMo’s “Triumphant Chart of Noveling Progress” Poster
  • A Writer’s Emergency Pack of Idea Cards

One Grand Prize Winner will also receive:

  • “No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days” by Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo
  • The 2018 “NaNoWriMo is…” Poster

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

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Don’t be a Perfectionist & Other Advice for Young Writers with Millie Florence

Meet Millie Florence

Millie Florence is an enthusiastic homeschooler and a published author – and she’s only 14-years-old! Her debut novel, Honey Butter, was published in August 2017, and she’s currently working on two more books: a collection of poems and a fantasy novel.

Participating in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, was a life-changing experience for Millie. It gave her permission to write the first draft of her novel without worrying about perfection, and that’s an incredibly freeing.

Listen to the Podcast

Show Notes

Millie’s Tips for Young Writers

  • The most important part of writing is getting the words out of your head and onto paper.
  • A lot (if not most) of what you write will get left on the cutting room floor.
  • Although revision isn’t always the most exciting part of writing, it’s necessary and it’s where a story comes together – and that can be really satisfying!
  • Feedback is critical. Millie solicits feedback from beta readers, who are other writers and friends willing to provide constructive criticism. She actually finds many of her beta readers online, and she says beta reading with people you don’t know as well “will change your life and will change your story.”
  • It took Millie a long time to find a supportive community of young writers, but she eventually stumbled onto TeenAuthorsJournal.com, a small but strong community of diverse writers.
  • Homeschooling can give young writers unprecedented freedom to write when inspiration strikes and focus their education on other things that benefit their writing.
  • If you want to get better at writing, you just have to keep doing it – even if you don’t realize it, you’re always getting better.
  • Think about stories! Don’t be afraid to dream, wonder, or come up with wild ideas. “Your mind is more powerful than you can imagine. You can affect so much of the world around you just by thinking. Your own thoughts can teach you, without you even realizing!”
Millie Florence

Resources:

Millie’s novel Honey Butter

Teen Authors Journal

We are hosting a free Brave Writer classroom for all of the young people who want to write as part of NaNoWriMo, and you can sign up your kids for FREE!

  1. Visit the Young Writers Program and sign up for an account.
  2. You will be prompted to join a classroom by entering a code. Our classroom code is: CKXQFLWR
  3. Our classroom name is NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

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NaNoWriMo 2017 is Here!

NaNoWriMo 2017 is here with Brave Writer!

Ready, Set, Get Writing!

Brave Writers, assemble! The big day is finally here — NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, has officially kicked off! Writers from all over the world are hunkering down to write their very own novel during the 30 days of November.

Hop on over to the Young Writers Program website and join the Brave Writer classroom, where we’ll share writing tips and inspiration throughout the month… and even give away some fun NaNoWriMo swag (see below)!

To join the Brave Writer classroom:

  1. Visit the Young Writers Program and sign up for an account.
  2. You will be prompted to join a classroom by entering a code. Our classroom code is: CKXQFLWR
  3. Our classroom name is NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

Parents, write your own novel!

Have you considered joining in on the NaNoWriMo fun? It’s not too late! Click here to visit the adult NaNoWriMo website, where the challenge is to write a 50,000-word novel by the end of November (young writers have flexible, age-appropriate word goals).

Imagine how rewarding it would be to do the challenge right alongside your kiddo(s), cheering each other on and having an in-person support system! You might be pleasantly surprised to see what you’re both capable of accomplishing, and did we mention the program is free? It’s a win, win all around!

Using NaNoWriMo in your homeschool

  • Create space for NaNoWriMo in your homeschool routine
  • This is a big, hairy, audacious goal your child has decided to undertake—so treat it with plenty of enthusiasm and gravitas!
  • Let other writing projects take a backseat this month and create plenty of space for important novel writing.

Have Big Juicy Conversations

Pepper NaNoWriMo throughout everyday conversations with your budding novelist—around the dinner table, in the car, while running errands, before bedtime, etc. Hearing about the process from their perspective is such a fun and eye-opening experience.

Help set the ambiance for your mini novelist

Little gestures go a long way—could you set up an official “novel-writing station” together? Buy a special new notebook or string some twinkle lights above a desk or kitchen table to make it more magical when it’s time to sit down and write. You don’t have to make a huge effort or spend a lot of money, just use your creative imagination!

Throw a post-NaNoWriMo party

December 1 is a day of celebration! Do something special to commemorate all the time your child dedicated to NaNoWriMo. Even if he/she didn’t “win” their word count goal, make sure you celebrate every word that WAS written, because, after all, they started November with a blank slate!

NaNoWriMo Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winners are (drum roll) Lexi, Haritha, and Kara! Congratulations!!

As if writing a novel in 30 days isn’t exciting enough, we are giving away some awesome NaNoWriMo swag to give you more incentive to write! Exciting, right?!

NaNoWriMo 2017 is here prizes

The Prizes:

  • “I <3 Novels” stickers
  • NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program buttons
  • A Writer’s Emergency Pack of Ideas
  • “Noveling is my superpower” bracelets
  • NaNoWriMo’s “Hold On, I’m Writing a Novel” pencils

To Enter:

We’re giving away THREE prize packs! You have unlimited entries and we’d love it if you’d share the contest with your friends!

DEADLINE to enter is November 3, 2017 midnight ET. [This contest is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!}

NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers
Classroom Code: CKXQFLWR

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NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, is a month-long creative writing endeavor and the largest writing event in the world. Participants eagerly sign up to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days! The challenge encourages a warm community and oodles of fun surrounding writing—speaking directly to our Brave Writer hearts!

The Young Writers Program

The Young Writers Program (YWP) is the K-12 version of NaNoWriMo. Instead of the 50,000 word-count goal of the adult-version, YWP helps students set individualized word-count goals and divide their work into daily, achievable milestones. Click here for a grade-based chart on choosing word count goals.

“Tell your story, whatever story matters to you. It doesn’t matter how you tell it, just that you get it out into the world. Students, even those who thought they hated writing, get invested. It becomes the best part of their day. By the end of the month, they’ve worked so hard, developed confidence and new skills, and have their very own novel to show off!”

—Marya Brennan, Young Writers Program Director.

NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers

The Young Writers Program offers a free online forum where students can

  • connect with other Wrimos through a private chat room,
  • update their novel writing progress,
  • receive encouragement and more!

The Young Writers Program is private and is only viewed by other members of the Young Writers Program. It is also monitored regularly by NaNoWriMo staff.

We have created our own online classroom where Brave Writers can connect. Brave Writer staff will occasionally check into this classroom, but please keep in mind we will not be reading students’ novels, assigning any grades or determining word count goals. We will check in to see how everyone is doing and provide plenty of cheerleading!

To join the Brave Writer classroom:

  1. Visit the Young Writers Program and sign up for an account.
  2. You will be prompted to join a classroom by entering a code. Our classroom code is: CKXQFLWR
  3. Our classroom name is NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!

Free Resources

Will you join us in this fun, month-long roller coaster ride of words in November?

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for chances to win fun NaNoWriMo swag! UPDATED: Go here for giveaway info.

NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers
Classroom Code: CKXQFLWR

Posted in NaNoWriMo, Writing Exercises | Comments Off on NaNoWriMo for Brave Writers!