Creative Writing - Meet Your Goals and Become a Novelist With NaNoWriMo!

Have you dreamed of becoming a novelist? Writing a whole novel is possible, and kids just like you have done it! In this quarter-long Flex class, join with other aspiring writers as you write your novels. 

We'll use the National Novel Writer's Young Writers' Program system. This fun program started as a part of November's National Novel Writer's Month. Their approachable materials are available all year long. This will help us plan our novels, set goals for writing, and learn to edit our finished work. 

Throughout the process, learners will receive a weekly video lesson.  The teacher will guide everyone in the next step in the writing process. Post your progress and ideas in the Outschool classroom. Not feeling ready to share your work yet? Send a message for personalized feedback.

Setting goals and finishing big projects (like writing a whole novel) are more fun with a team to cheer you on. We'll interact by sharing our ideas and introducing ourselves in the Outschool classroom. We'll use the video feature to share examples of books we love. 

We'll also use a classroom set up just for our class on the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program website. From there, we'll have engaging novel discussions through our own forum. We'll be able to share and track our writing goals together on this platform. You can even engage other writers in a good-natured writing challenge. Who can write the most words in their writing sprint? 

When we move from composing to revising, we'll work on peer editing. We'll learn about revising and editing and will get feedback from each other. 

Weekly Breakdown of Topics:
January/April - Planning Your Novel

Week 1 
Meet one another and the teacher. Learn about the NaNoWriMo process. Put away your inner editor and get ready to write! Share an example of a novel you love and start brainstorm ideas for your novel.

Week 2 
Create awesome characters. Plan exciting main characters, supporting characters, and diabolical villains. 

Week 3
Make up your story. Plan ahead and outline your plot. Learn about key plot points that will make for thrilling writing.

Week 4
Map your setting. Plan for ways setting can move the story forward. Learn to create meaningful dialogue.

Week 5
Time to write! Get some NaNoWriMo survival tips to keep you motivated. Plan your word-count goals. Start writing every day. 

Week 6
Stay motivated! Learn about the Dare Machine and writing sprints. Interact in the NaNoWriMo Classroom. Share your writing adventures with the teacher and other learners.

Week 7
Write with all your senses! Learn how to add meaningful details that captivate your reader. Share examples of sensory-rich writing that you have read and enjoyed.

Week 8
Interview your characters! Make sure your characters personalities and choices are moving your plot forward. Share character interviews with the group. Check in on your  word-count goals in the NaNoWriMo classroom.

Week 9
I wrote a Novel, now what? Learn about writer's workshop. Release your inner editor. Learn the difference between revising and editing. 

Week 10
Reading review! Share your novel or an excerpt with the teacher or fellow learners. Team up to improve your writing and revise! 

Week 11
Editing! Do a final read-through of your work. Team up with other learners and get a second set of eyes to check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation trouble.

Week 12
You did it! We'll celebrate by creating summaries, book covers, and author bios. Learn about options for printing and publishing your novels!