NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is here! For the next 30 days, writers around the globe are taking the challenge to write an entire novel during the month of November:
“National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel.”
Many national bestsellers began as NaNoWriMo projects, including:
- Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles series) by Marissa Meyer
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
- Jackpot by Nic Stone
- Wool by Hugh Howey
…and more!
The organizers behind NaNoWriMo know writing an entire novel in one month is a daunting task, especially for young writers. That’s why they fully support students with the Young Writers Program:
“Our Young Writers Program supports under-18 writers and K-12 educators as they participate in our flagship event each November, and take part in smaller writing challenges year-round.”
Sign up for the Young Writers Program (it’s free!) to get access to writing resources, including workbooks, pep talks, videos, and NaNoWriMo flair to get you prepared and inspired to write.
Still not convinced? Author David Webb maintains a YouTube channel to encourage writers, offering tips on storytelling, publishing, and marketing. In this recent post, David shares his 6 reasons to do NaNoWriMo:
Visit the Resources For Writers page to learn more about getting started and for writing guidance (also free!), including the Young Novelist Workbook (print copies of the workbook are also available at CA Library; see Mr. Bateman for details!)