Wednesday, November 3, 2010

NaNoWriMo

National November Writing Month. It is a challenge to write a novel in a month. They have a kids program. And Little Mama and Nature Girl have taken the challenge. It was suggested to us by a friend of mine and I thought it would be fun.

Starting November 1st, until midnight November 30th, the girls are to write a whole novel on their own. The get to pick the genre, the title and are given suggested word counts. I think Little Mama picked like 200 words and Nature Girl picked liked 700.

They started writing Monday and haven't stopped. They both have decided they will be way over their word counts! The premise is just to write. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, punctuation or even if it makes sense at times. Just write. For 30 days.

If I understand correctly, once the book is submitted to NaNoWriMo YP, we will have a couple months to make corrections and revision etc. I think I will use their corrections and revisions as lessons in grammar etc. Anyway, then some how a book cover is made and it gets published. I honestly have no idea how the last part works. I will learn as I go.

I am just excited the kids took to it like they did. And, after reading some of Little Mama's (well reading it as she dictates it to me), I was really impressed with her thought process and creativity. Nature Girl has her writing in a notebook and carries it with her so I haven't had the opportunity to read it or hear it yet.

I have registered also. At the kids request. But, I don't have the option of a flexible word count. I have to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I think that is somewhere around 1,200 words a day. I can tell you right now, that ain't gonna happen. I tried to write Monday for about a half hour. Liked where I was going, but just for fun counted the words and it was like 300. I guess there will be a season in life for that as well.

But, in the meantime, I am going to do what I can to encourage the girls to finish what they started and to see what happens . . .

2 comments:

Katie said...

That sounds SO cool! That would be right up Thomas' alley. Or mine.
Can't wait to hear how it all turns out.

Diane Moody said...

Oh Annie! I've been WEEKS behind reading your blog and I hate that! I feel so out of touch! Then I pop open your blog and there's NaNoWriMo!? I see that everywhere in my writing world, but never dreamed I'd see it here!

HOW COOL that you guys are taking the challenge! I love love love it. I so wish someone had encouraged me to follow my passion when I was young like that! Who knows but that there's a best selling novelist under your roof! And hey, it could even be YOU! (Although your word count challenge blew my mind! That's a LOT!!)

I've missed you terribly! Promise I'll do better! Love to all . . .